


One Year

by SherlockWolf



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AkuRoku - Freeform, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Small Town, California, College AU, Coming Out, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, Multi, Ocean, POV Axel (Kingdom Hearts), POV Roxas (Kingdom Hearts), Pizza, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Summer, Summer Romance, Swearing, Trapped, Twilight Town (Kingdom Hearts), ill add more tags as they become relevant, no drug use in story/plot, that queer life ™
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-06-09 05:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15260295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockWolf/pseuds/SherlockWolf
Summary: Axel made a mistake that got him trapped in his small college town over the summer before his senior year of college. A mistake that would change his life in ways he never thought to wish for.





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly self-indulgent fluff with very little angst and weird Arcata vibes. Also, this is my first KH fanfic in at least ten years so I apologize in advance for any poor characterization.
> 
> As always, if there's any weird spelling/grammar mistakes please let me know!
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> <3 sherlockwolf

** Day One **

    One year. One measly year, and life would finally _start._ No more school, no more homework, no more teachers or professors or _whatever_ they wanted to call themselves. He would be _free_.

    College, fate, the universe at large had done Axel a disservice. Well. To be fair, he’d made a minor mistake that had snowballed into a huge one. But he’d rather pin his misfortune on the universe.

    He was trapped.

    In a tiny ocean-side town.

    Alone.

    Until August.

    Ugh.

    He’d managed to benefit a little from his stupid mistake. The university had had some excellent volunteer research for him to do for the first month, and he’d been thrilled to add another open door to his resume. On top of that he’d snagged a part-time job at a local pizza place making deliveries with his bike and begging his boss to give him the closest ones—thankfully in as small a place as Twilight Town they were all, technically, close. The job helped him pay rent and feed himself, with just enough left over for summer blockbusters.

    “Yo, Ax, you working tonight?”

    Okay, so he wasn’t _completely_ alone. His roommate, Demyx, and Demyx’s friend Zexion were still in town. Axel and Demyx had been roommates since freshman year, finding their living styles compatible enough to get an apartment together sophomore year. They’d been in the same place since.

    “Yeah.” Axel grunted.

    He was scrolling through Instagram memes his best friend back home had sent him. Larxene had a twisted since of humor, so most of them were about Infinity War. It always amazed Axel how quickly people were able to get decent-quality screenshots of movies that were still in theatres.

    “Zexi and I were gonna get drinks. When are you off?” Demyx tried again, trying to rouse Axel from the depths of the internet.

    “Closing.” Axel sighed, giving in and dropping his phone in his lap.

    Demyx was sprawled in the bean bag next to the TV, glaring at Axel over his own chest. Axel shrugged helplessly.

    “You always pick the worst shifts.” Demyx whined.

    “My manager picks them. Take it up with her.”

    “I might.”

    “Do you still want free pizza?” Axel threatened.

    “I won’t!”

    “Damn right.”

    Axel rolled off the couch and headed down the hallway to his bedroom. Demyx would just have to find a different person to be the third wheel tonight. Not that Demyx would ever admit that that was Axel’s role when he was able to go out with them.

    Axel readied himself for work while listening to Demyx’s pathetic excuse for an indoor voice explain to Zexion that it would just be the two of them at the bar that night.

    _Just ask him out, coward_. Axel thought, wishing Demyx could hear him.

    Though, he reasoned, if people could read each other’s minds life would be easier but weirder. It was certainly for the best that Demyx didn’t know what he was thinking at all times of the day.

    Axel fetched his bike from the garage, then hauled ass to work.

    The pizza shop was cleverly named ‘Hole in the Wall’, since the building had once been in a state of wreckage, with a basketball sized hole in one wall that was now filled with a circular window. The owners, Aqua and Terra, were an adorable hipstery couple a decade or so older than Axel. They’d moved up from a larger city in the southern part of the state and made the place look like it was pulled right out of San Francisco. The head cook, Ventus, was a little younger than the owners and had so much energy it threw Axel for a loop. He was a local guy, blonde hair a mess and eyes as blue as the ocean. If Axel were into guys, he figured the blue-eyed blonde would be his type solely based on Ventus. And maybe Chris Evans.

    He would swear on his grave that wasn’t why Cap was his favourite. Chris E. just had...really nice pecs, was all.  Axel could hear Larxene laughing at him three states away, reminding Axel that he’d already had his “ohgodamIgay” crisis. That was what high school was for.

    “Firebaby’s here!” Ventus’ voice hollered as soon as Axel walked through the front door.

    The cook had a vantage point from the kitchen window where he could see the door, and it was custom for him to greet Axel in some form that made fun of his hair. The few customers who were sitting inside waiting for their pizzas all nodded in agreement upon seeing his flaming hair.

    “Nice to see you too, shorty.” Axel called back as his passed the kitchen, throwing Ventus a subtle finger.

    Axel typed his employee number into the computer in the staff room to clock in, unsurprised to see he was a few minutes early. Minutes on the clock meant dimes on the dollar, and he needed every dime he could get. He hurried back out front to collect his first delivery for the night. Six boxes were piled on the delivery counter, with three paper bags of sides all reeking of garlic. It made Axel’s mouth water. Ventus made killer garlic knots.

    “Already have a few orders for you. Selphie’s already taken some and nobody knows where the hell Tidus and Marluxia are.” Ventus said, his voice returned to work mode.

    “They’re both working tonight?”

    “Yeah, were supposed to be here an hour ago. But you know Aqua, she’s got too much faith in the idiots.”

    “Maybe the bus broke down.” Axel wondered.

    “If by ‘bus’ you mean Marly’s car, then you’re probably right.” Terra’s voice floated from the dish room.  

    “Those jerks told me they take the bus.” Axel grumbled.

    Marluxia and Tidus were his least favourite co-workers. They were almost always late, sometimes stank of weed, and were ambitious-less unless you counted Marluxia’s obsession with gardening—Axel did, to give him just a little merit. But, they were local goofballs that Aqua had a sweet spot for, so they kept their jobs even though Terra and Ventus wished otherwise.

    The other employees were Selphie, a high school kid about to start her senior year, Cloud, Ventus’ younger brother who was also starting his senior year of high school, and Pence, a ball-is-life community college kid who’d started working a few weeks after Axel. Those three got along with Axel well whenever they saw each other. A benefit of a delivery job was that Axel didn’t have to hang around his co-workers all that much. He also got to listen to whatever music he wanted, unlike Cloud and Tidus who didn’t have any means for delivery and had cooking shifts with Ventus.

    “Can you get all those on your bike?” Terra asked, eyeing the stack of pizzas that Axel was trying to figure out how to carry.

    “Nope. I’ll take the first three orders then come back for more.” He barely managed to balance the two bags of knots on top of the three boxes he’d picked up.

    “We’ll keep you busy.” Ventus laughed.

    Axel made sure to flip him off one more time before going back to his bike to bungee-cord the pizzas to the rack.

~

    “We should totally do it! Just cause you work there doesn’t mean we shouldn’t—besides, their pizza is great!” Olette insisted, shaking Pence’s arm.

    Roxas laughed at Pence’s embarrassed expression and Olette’s unnecessary doting just to try and get her boyfriend to let them order pizza from his work. It was funny how overdramatic they both were. Maybe that’s why they were dating.

    “I work with a bunch of weirdos! I don’t want one of the stoners to show up.” Pence slumped back against the couch.

    “Not all of them are stoners, what about the girl? Or the hot one?” Olette suggested.

    “Is the hot one a woman?” Hayner piped up from beside Roxas.

    Roxas and Hayner were flopped on the living room floor in front of the coffee table, battling out via 3DS Mario Kart. Roxas didn’t have a Wii in the good year 2018, nor did he want one. PlayStation was still far superior in his mind, so they were stuck with tiny versions of Mario Kart.

    “Nah, he’s this uni guy named _Axel_. Thinks he’s the shit too, with his stupid fire-hair.” Pence grumbled.

    “His hair’s on fire?” Roxas asked, just to be snarky.

    Not because he had a thing for redheads, nope. It was because Pence also thought he was “the shit” and Roxas preferred to take him down a notch every chance he got.

    “Could be.” Pence snapped.

    Roxas grinned. Then he got a blue shell.

    “Fuck yes.”

    “I don’t like the sound of that.” Hayner said, then screamed when his kart got hit by the shockwave.

    Roxas slid into first.

    “Look, Sora’s upstairs starving his face off, so if you dorks could just decide on where we’re gonna get food in the next five seconds, that’d be great.” Roxas said, glancing sideways at Olette, hoping she’d catch his drift.

    Sue him if he was curious about this Axel guy.

    “’Kay I’ll call them.” Olette said, and Roxas cackled.

    Totally unrelated—he’d hit somebody with a banana.

    Pence made whining noises while Olette looked up the Hole in the Wall’s phone number. Roxas beat Hayner, taking second while Hayner got seventh.

    “Blue shells should be illegal.” Hayner groaned, tossing his 3DS a foot from his head and digging his face shamefully into the carpet while Roxas kicked his legs in the air victoriously.

    “You just don’t get them enough.” Roxas gloated.

    “Rooooxxxaaaaaaaaas when are we gonna eeeeeaaaaaat?!” Sora’s high-pitched teenage voice screamed from his bedroom.

    “Twenty minutes!” Olette yelled back, and Roxas looked up to see her setting down her phone and sticking her tongue out at Pence.

    Roxas dragged his unwilling body off the carpet and walked around the wall behind the couch that lead into the kitchen. Hayner followed him and together they set the table for the four of them, plus Sora and his best friend, Riku. Said teens bounced down the stairs ten minutes later and dug through the fridge for soda before claiming spots together at the table. They were playing some kind of game on Riku’s phone that made too many weird anime noises for Roxas’ taste.

    Finally, the doorbell rang and Sora sprang for the door like a lion at its prey. Roxas, Hayner, Riku, and Pence dragged by Olette followed the teens. They piled in the entrance hall as Sora swung open the door to reveal a ridiculously tall person with two pizza boxes and a paper bag covering their face.

    “Delivery for Roxas.” A man’s voice spoke from behind the pizzas.

    “I’m Roxas!” Sora yelled, taking the pizzas while Riku snatched the garlic knots.

    The high schoolers beelined for the kitchen while the others stared after them in amusement. Then they turned back to Axel, who was laughing.

    “Someone’s hungry.” He said, adjusting the company hat on his head.

    Roxas nearly swore when he made out the man’s hair color. _Red_ did not do it justice, especially in the light of the setting sun. His all-black outfit led to no distractions from the hair, and—Roxas mentally swooned—Axel was wearing a tank with gold lettering that bared his arm muscles to the world, and oh man was he _buff._

    “Oh, shit. Hey Pence.” Axel greeted with a short wave, “Didn’t realize you lived here.”

   “Nah, this is Roxas’ place.” Pence grumbled from beside Olette who was grinning and pointing at Roxas.

   When Axel looked down at Roxas, the blonde had to hold his breath. The guy’s eyes were piercing green. Olette should’ve warned him with more than just _hot_.

    “I’m Axel.” The man held out his hand, and it took Roxas’ brain a second to click before he shook it.

    “Thanks for the pizza.” He said lamely.

    He couldn’t always be smooth, especially when blindsided by the presence of a downright _snack_.

    “Here’s the money. Tell Ven thanks.” Pence spoke up from beside Roxas, who started slightly and forced himself to look away from Axel.

    Little did he know Axel had behaved the same way.

    “Sure thing.” Axel said, taking the money from Pence and sticking it into his pocket.

    “See ya.” Pence said, then pushed Olette—who waved goodbye—into the kitchen.

    “Um. You work with my cousins, right?” Roxas asked, having finally come up with a topic—however boring—for conversation.

    He knew Axel would have to get back to deliveries, but something in the back of his mind was screaming for him to get the guy to stay, just another minute.

    “Wait, I do?” Axel asked, staring at Roxas like he had a third eye.

    “Ven. Ventus. He and Cloud are my aunt’s kids.” Roxas clarified.

    Had Ven not mentioned his cousins at work? Jerk.

    “Oh, cool. I mean, that explains some stuff. You guys look…similar.” Axel mused, and Roxas watched his eyes flicker over him.

    “More than me and my brother Sora, which is pretty weird.”     

    “Sora was the one who screamed?” Forest eyes flicked to the kitchen doorway, just visible in the hall.

    “Yeah, he and his boyfriend have been begging us for food for an hour.”

    Axel laughed, and Roxas smiled at the sound. Was there a single thing about this guy that wasn’t attractive?

    “Well, I won’t stop you from enjoying it.” Axel’s eyes flicked over him again, “See ya around, Roxas.”

    A chill rose on Roxas’ skin at the way Axel had said his name—soft and sultry.

    _Jeezus._

    “Yeah, see ya.” Roxas replied to Axel’s back, closing the door gently behind the man.

    He stared at the door handle for a solid ten seconds before literally shaking himself, fluffing his hair, and following after his friends.

    Sora had dumped the pizzas on the counter, so Roxas had to grab his plate from the table. As soon as Olette spotted him, she grinned.

    “See! I told you he was hot.”

    “You gotta give a guy more warning, Olette. He was _smokin_ ’.” Roxas let himself laugh, enjoying the adrenaline rush of having met a person like Axel.

    He was guaranteed to have good dreams that night.

~

    “Dude. Quit staring at me.” Ventus said, flicking Axel’s forehead as he walked by, spinning dough with the other hand.

    “Sorry. I met your cousin on my last run.” Axel said, leaning up against the wall as he waited for the next set of deliveries to be set up.

    Ventus was running behind with just himself and Cloud working the kitchen—Tidus and Marluxia were still nowhere to be seen, so Terra had stepped in to help Cloud with ingredient prep while Ventus cooked.

    “Say no more. Kid’s like a doppelganger or something.”

    “You’re not kidding. How did _that_ happen?” Axel asked, still unabashedly staring at his co-worker.

    The ocean blue eyes, the messy blonde hair, even their general face shapes…it was beyond ridiculous.

    “Our moms fucked the same guy. It was a twin thing, mom said.” Ventus replied with a shrug, shaping the dough along a pan.

    “LANGUAGE.” Terra shouted from somewhere in the back.

    “SORRY!” Ventus hollered, then grinned and winked mischievously at Axel.

    “So you’re actually half-brothers?”

    “Yeah, but just me and Roxy. Sora and Cloud have different parents.”

    “Small towns are weird.” Axel decided aloud.

    “Yes they are.” Terra agreed from the back.

    Axel heard Cloud laugh. He fidgeted with a pen for a few minutes until Ventus plopped three more orders next to him.

    “Do you want me to take more?” Axel offered, knowing it was physically impossible but wishing he could help with the rush.

    “Nah, I’m piling up on Selphie. You’re doing great, fireman.” Ventus gave him a formal salute then returned to cooking.

    “Mhmm.” Axel laughed, taking the pizzas back to his bike.

    He was going to have trouble forgetting about blue eyes.


	2. Day Two

** Day Two **

        The skate park was abandoned that morning. That was how Roxas preferred it. When he had the whole place to himself he could really let loose, fall into the mindless motions of skating, “the zone” as Hayner called it.

    Roxas set up his portable speaker and navigated through Spotify to his pump up playlist. It had artists like AWOLNATION, My Chemical Romance, and New Politics and he loved it. Then he hopped on his board and rolled down the first ramp.

    His zone was broken at exactly ten am by the arrival of Hayner, Pence, some of Pence’s basketball team members, Olette, and her little sister, Xion. Xion was a year younger than Sora and so quiet that the only thing Roxas knew about her was that she really loved sea shells and could nearly out-skate him.

    Olette and Xion joined Roxas on the ramps while the rest of the boys began a scrimmage game on the neighboring basketball court. Roxas had never understood the appeal of basketball, and had initially been disappointed when Hayner joined the community college’s team. But, when he realized that meant he had more of the skate park to himself, he wasn’t as upset. And none of the basketball guys looked down on him for enjoying a different sport, so he’d even tagged along with Hayner on some of their after-game outings.

    It was high noon by the time the team gave up on their game and joined the skaters flopped on the grass surrounding the concrete. Someone suggested they order pizza, which lead to a scramble on Pence’s part to get Olette’s phone from her before she called Hole in the Wall. Roxas and the others cheered on Olette, who managed to get the call in while running full speed around the park. Even Xion was cheering for her.

    Pence collapsed in the grass on the other side of the park while Olette skipped back over to the crowd and plopped down next to her sister. She leaned over her sister to whisper to Roxas, making sure the other guys couldn’t hear her,

    “I asked for Axel, she said he’s working today.”

    Roxas fought off a blush. Ten days had passed since he met Axel, and Roxas couldn’t get the guy out of his head. He wanted to see him again. Desperately. It was embarrassingly obvious too, because last night when he and his friends all been hanging out in his parent’s house again, Olette had asked him if he’d seen Axel yet, like she _knew_ just how quickly he’d become smitten with the pizza guy.

    Damn older kids and their wisdom.

    “Awesome.” He replied with a shrug, knowing he wouldn’t convince her of his nonchalance but not wanting any of the other guys to suspect anything if they overheard.

    Just because his close friends knew he was gay didn’t mean he wanted everyone to know.

    “Who’s Axel?” Xion asked, keeping her voice low as well.

    Roxas wasn’t sure if she knew, if Olette had told her or not. He wouldn’t mind that, necessarily. Xion didn’t talk much, so there was nothing to worry about with her knowing.

    “The hot pizza guy from Pence’s work. Remember? You told him his hair looked like real fire.” Olette explained.

    Roxas wondered if Olette knew Axel more than she was letting on.

    “Oh. Yeah.” Xion glanced at Roxas, smiled half-heartedly, then picked up her board and returned to the ramps.

    “How many pizzas did you get?” Hayner called over from where he was thumb battling one of his teammates.

    “I got four, which should feed all of us.” Olette said, to which the guys all cheered.

    Pence rolled over and groaned from where he was still flopped in the grass. Roxas picked up his skate board and joined Xion back on the ramps as soon as he heard one of the ball players mention tag.

~

    “How was your date with Zexion?” Axel asked from his position on the couch, enjoying the sudden pinking of Demyx’s cheeks.

    “It wasn’t a date, Ax.” Demyx rolled his eyes and took up another fork full of ramen.

    “It’s the third time you guys have gone out alone this week. I know you have more friends in town. Your band isn’t just two people ‘cause neither of you can sing.”

    “I can sing!” Demyx snapped.

    “Why don’t you just ask him out?” Axel asked, not letting Demyx get away from the conversation at hand.

    “Have you ever asked someone out? It’s awful.” Demyx winced at bad memories.

    Axel laughed, remembering when he’d had a thing for his friend Saïx in high school. That had turned into a disaster only teenagers could mix up.

    “Yeah, it is. But you’ll never know if you don’t do it.” Axel coaxed.

    Demyx shook his head. “But I could lose Zex. I know it’s cliché, but that’d suck.”

    Axel couldn’t argue with that, so he rolled off the couch to start his getting-ready-for-work routine. He was working a lunch shift today which had made Demyx happy since he was able to go out with him and Zexion tonight. Beer and loud music would do him some good. Maybe he’d find a dancing partner to help him get a certain face out of his mind.

    The first hour of his shift was quiet. Only one person came in for take out, so Axel mostly helped Ventus with prepping duty. The shop only carried fresh ingredients, so everything was made daily. It was a business model that really could only work in small towns surrounded by farms and ranches, and it certainly was up the alley of the people who settled in Twilight Town.

    The second hour brought an unexpected gift.

    “Delivery!” Aqua’s cheery voice preceded her appearance into the kitchen, “Four pizzas to the skate park for Roxas. Isn’t that your cousin?” She asked, her attention on Ventus as she clipped a ticket to the pulley system and sent it over to him.

    Axel was grateful she didn’t notice that he nearly dropped his chopping knife. It had been ten days since he’d met Roxas, and he hadn’t been able to get the cutie’s face out of his mind. It wasn’t usual for Axel to remember a customer he thought was attractive. There were plenty of them. He considered blaming Ventus for looking freakishly similar to his “cousin”. But there was just something about Roxas…the way he’d made a flustered attempt to chat with Axel. How he not so subtly mentioned his brother was dating a guy. How freakin’ blue his eyes were.

    Needless to say, Axel was a little bitter at Chris Evans.

    “Yeah, that’s the one.” Ventus said cheerily, taking the order ticket off the string then turning to Axel, “Finish the peppers. I’ll get this ready.”

    By the time Axel had the peppers packed up and in the walk-in, Ventus was packing up the last of the pizzas. Axel ditched his apron in the staff room, snatched a company hat, and left without a word. Four pizzas was a stretch for his bungee cords, but he made it work and put the skate park into Google Maps. Ten minutes. Ten minutes for him to try and find something clever to say, maybe hint he thought Roxas was cute just to try his luck.

    The skate park was full of people. Well, for a small town. At least ten guys in basketball shorts and ridiculously large Nike or Adidas or Jordans or whatever were playing a game of tag around the basketball court while some girls and a guy—Roxas—were actually skating. As Axel parked his bike, he recognized the girls as Olette and her little sister whose name he couldn’t remember to save his life. To his credit, he’d only met her twice and she had a unique name. Kinda like Roxas. _Roxas_. Axel already liked the way the name rolled off his tongue.

    Nobody had noticed him yet, so he carried the pizzas over to one of the benches near the skate park and set them down before turning to watch Roxas. Axel picked up on the kid’s talent quickly. It was clear he knew the board and ramps by heart. Some of the moves he pulled off were really impressive.

    Olette’s sister stopped in the middle, adjusting her helmet, and caught sight of Axel. He waved at her, but she just stared back. Weird. Roxas stopped next to her, the back of his head facing Axel, who saw the girl point at him before she kicked up her board and walked off. Roxas whirled around to stare at him. What was with these kids and the staring?

    Then he was being approached by a skate board, which stopped at the edge of the concrete.

    “Hey, skater boy.” Axel greeted crossing his arms over his chest, a natural smile falling across his lips, “Having a one-man pizza party?”

    “Most of those are for Pence and his teammates.” Roxas explained, a slight smile and blush gracing his face.

    He didn’t protest Axel’s teasing, which was a good sign.

    “Basketball guys? Not your thing, huh?” Axel said, making the effort to take his eyes off Roxas and checkout what the guys on the court were doing.

    Still playing tag.

    “Nah, I’m more into tall-dark-and-mysterious.” Roxas teased, grinning mischievously up at Axel who chuckled.

    Axel liked that look on Roxas—mischief suited him. Plus he’d caught Axel’s double entendre. Bonus points.

    “What got you into it—skate boarding, I mean?” Axel asked, remembering his own infatuation with BMX bikes as a kid that was spurred on by the neighbor kids he and his sister played with.

    “Oh uh. This guy I used to—be friends with.” Roxas cut himself off mid-sentence, but so quickly that Axel should have missed it.

    He wasn’t going to forget it, though.

    “You seem like a pro.” Axel complimented.

    Roxas smile turned bashful, and he fluffed the hair at the back of his neck. Hmm. Nervous tick? Another good sign.

    “Thanks. Um, Olette didn’t give—.”

    “Hello!” A quiet, young girl’s voice chirped, and the two realized that Olette’s sister was now standing close to—no, practically _on top_ of Roxas, with an arm around his waist.

    “Hey, Xion. You’ve met Axel before, yeah?” Roxas asked, putting an arm over the girl’s shoulders and looking back at Axel.

    Huh. Maybe he was misreading this whole thing.

    “Hi, Axel.” Xion greeted with a soft smile and small wave.

    “Hello, Xion.” He had to admit her name was pretty cool, now that his memory was refreshed.

    “Axel! I’ve got the money.” Olette’s voice drew everyone’s attention to her as she skated from the basketball court over to them.

    She let her board roll into the grass as she hopped off and stood on the other side of Roxas. She handed Axel two twenties and told him to keep the change. Then, she glanced between Axel, Roxas, and Xion, and said,

    “You got any time to stay and watch Roxas’ badass skating?”

    Axel decided he liked her, Roxas spluttered, and Xion glared at her sister.

    “Yeah, I can stay for a few. If Aqua calls I’ll say I got lost.” Axel said, plopping down on the bench next to the pizzas.

    Olette sat on the opposite side and waved a dismissive hand at Roxas and Xion, who grabbed their respective boards with matching eye rolls and returned to the ramps. Roxas gave Axel one last glace before turning away.

    Axel continued to be impressed by Roxas’ skill, but he noticed that Xion was nearly just as good.

    “He likes you, you know.” Olette said after a few minutes of scraping wheels on concrete went by.

    Axel didn’t want to look away, but what she’d said required some sort of shocked expression, considering it was out of the blue.

    “But we don’t know each other.” He protested, why he didn’t know—she’d said what he was hoping to be true.

    He briefly considered that he should have protested her assuming his sexuality instead, but he’d been around Olette enough times this summer to know she knew about his thing for Chris Evans.

    “Yeah, but that’s not really a requirement to find someone attractive.” Olette argued, but she was smiling at Axel all the same, “Besides, from what I know about you I think you guys would get along. And Roxas needs somebody good for him. As a friend, or more.”  She shrugged.

    Both of them turned their attention to Roxas, who was doing some seriously cool half-pipe stuff. For the record, Axel knew next to nothing about skate board lingo.

    “I wouldn’t mind getting to know him.” Axel admitted to her, then asked, “What about Xion?”

    Olette sighed. “Noticed already, huh? She’s had a crush on Roxas all year, since the first time he hung out with Pence and I. She knows Roxas likes guys, but I think she’s still working through it ‘cause she gets pretty jealous.”

    “So he’s just into guys, then?” Axel asked absently, watching Roxas more raptly.

    The early afternoon sun made his hair look like spun gold.

    “Yeah, aren’t you?”

    Axel shook his head. Then, three things happened at once. Olette commented, “That bastard”, Axel’s phone started buzzing, and the basketball guys noticed that their pizza had arrived. The ensuing rush of twenty-something boys had Axel scrambling for his bike, phone, and getting the hell out of dodge. Safe at the edge of the park, he answered the call which, no surprise, was Aqua.

    “You’d have better gotten lost, young man.” She said with false sternness as soon as the line connected.

    “Yes, ma’am. I’ll be back in ten.” He said, grinning as he watched the ferocious feeding frenzy a few hundred yards away.

    He could still hear skate boards but couldn’t see Roxas anymore. He’d have to save the goodbye for another day. For now, he had a night out with Demyx and Zexion to look forward to.

~

    “How’s your job going?” Zexion’s voice floated through his hair, catching Axel mid-sip.

    Swallowing down beer fast enough to catch up with conversation was one of Axel’s least favourite things.

    “Good. I’ve discovered that small towns are as weird as I thought, so that’s been…wild.”

    The three of them were seated at a table near the back of one of the local small-brews that had a stage Demyx and his band played on most often. The bartender—brew master? Axel wasn’t sure—was a pirate-looking older man named Xigbar, who had a large scar on his face and an eye patch that made Axel wonder what kind of crazy young shenanigans the man had gotten himself involved in.

    “Anything specific?” Demyx asked, laying his hand on the table approximately a centimeter from Zexion’s.

    As he watched Zexion adjust his posture to lean more toward Demyx, Axel decided that these two were idiots.

    “Yeah, the guy who’s the head chef at my job has a half-brother in town who looks freakishly similar.”

    “Woa! That _is_ small-town weirdness.” Demyx cracked himself up while Zexion just smiled at him.

    Ugh, they were gross. Axel wondered if Roxas would look at him that way if he made a dumb joke. Then he remembered Roxas’ mischievous grin and decided he liked that better.

    “Is he cute?” Zexion asked, taking a sip of his own beer.

    “Yeah.” Axel smiled at the memory of the blush on Roxas’ cheeks at being called ‘skater boy’.

    “You should ask him out!” Demyx exclaimed, a genuine grin on his face despite repeating the very advice Axel had given him that morning.

    Axel rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “Oh, really? Hadn’t thought of that, Dem. I’m gonna get more drinks.”

    It was tradition for Axel to abandon the pair at the table for a while and chat with Xigbar or the other customers of the night, so that Demyx and Zexion could have alone time. In theory, Axel would be the perfect wingman if either of those idiots could take a sip of liquid courage.

    He hoped he’d see Roxas again soon. He’d probably need his own shot of potion then.


	3. Day Three

**Day Three**

    Hayner’s cheers could be heard all the way in space, as far as Roxas was concerned.

    “I won!” His best friend crowed, jumping to his feet and bouncing in victorious circles around Roxas, who starfished on the carpet and made wailing-baby noises, 3DS laying discarded on his stomach.

    “Would you guys shut up!? I’m on the phone!” Sora yelled from the kitchen where he was eating cereal for dinner and talking to Riku via Snapchat video.

    Ah, the shenanigans young people got up to when their parents were out of town for a month.

    “The guys wanna go out tonight. It’s eighteen and up night at the club ‘cause it’s Thursday, so we can all go.” Pence’s voice rose above Hayner’s shouting.

    Roxas glared over at him. “How could I possibly dance when I’ve just suffered the worst loss of my life?”

    “Jeeze, what place did you get?” Pence asked, putting his phone down for a split second to stare back at Roxas.

    Roxas wanted to bet Hayner ten bucks Pence was texting Olette. It’d be an easy ten bucks. Instead he grumbled something and glared at the ceiling.

    “He got _last_!” Hayner crowed, flopping against the couch next to Pence and making a fist pump.

    “No. Way.” Pence said at the same time Sora shouted, “Guys! Shh!”

    “I’m a failure.” Roxas groaned.

    “Well _this winner_ is gonna celebrate with some dancing.” Hayner mimicked an evil villain cackle.

    “Come with, Roxas. You can’t stay here and get all bent out of shape just ‘cause you lost.” Pence insisted, standing up and poking Roxas in the stomach with his foot.

    “Fine, I guess I’ll go.” Roxas pretended to give in, though they all knew he was going to go anyway.

    Clubbing wasn’t one of Roxas’ favourite activities, but he did enjoy dancing and acting like a complete goof with his friends. Plus with the basketball guys, clubbing was more an experience in people watching than anything else. He wouldn’t say no to that.

~

    A vial of green liquid landed in the test-tube rack next to Axel’s hand, starling him enough that his hand shook and he almost poured too much salt into the flask he was working with.

    “Watch it!” He snapped, setting down the salt canister and turning to glare at his assailant. Zexion was standing innocently at his work station, the bare hint of a smirk on his lips.

    “You need to work on your vigilance.” The blue-haired scientist retorted.

    “I don’t get what Dem sees in you.” Axel shot back under his breath.

    “What?”

    “Nothing. You’re just an idiot.”

    Axel went back to his work, once more reading through the instructions the lab TA had handed him that morning before starting the next step. He preferred to be precise at all times, which was a trait he knew would take him far. In his career, at least. Being accurate about everything all the time in life was an impossibility even Axel knew he couldn’t achieve.

    “Dem wants to go out tonight.” Zexion said a few minutes later, nearly breaking Axel’s concentration.

    Literally.

    The solution he’d concocted slipped out of his hand and nearly sloshed onto the counter as he startled _once again_. He thanked his lucky stars the flask hadn’t broke.

    “Jeeze, Zex, am I gonna have to play wingman with you idiots _until I die_?” Axel shot back, not bothering to look Zexion’s way as he checked his solution to make sure nothing had gone awry.

    One could never know how a drop from the sky might affect a chemical reaction.

    “Until Dem gets up the nerve to actually ask me out, yeah.” Was Zexion’s measured reply.

    Axel wanted to scream. “Why don’t _you_ do it? I’ve already broken the ‘ _don’t tell Zex whatever you do’_ best friend code. My matchmaking duties are technically completed.”

    Last step and he could go home, play some video games, and forget about his idiot roommate and idiot classmate for a few hours—the cycle would continue when Demyx got home from his own job.

    “I…can’t think of a clever way to impress him.” Zexion admitted, voice low and somber.

    That actually surprised Axel. He finished the last step, set the flask in the fridge to cool overnight, then went about cleaning his work station while he chastised Zexion.

    “Impress Demyx? Don’t you know him at all? A little magic trick with cards would be all you’d need to get a ring on your finger.”

    Zexion sighed and turned around to watch Axel, who wondered what kind of reaction he was working on that could be abandoned for conversation.

    “You really think so?”

    Axel sighed and set down the cleaning spray, ensuring that he had eye contact with Zexion and a hand on one hip to get his point across.

    “Yeah. Zex, Demyx is your best friend, and he cares about you a whole hell of a lot. Even if you did something cliché like ask him out for a dinner date, he’d lose his mind with joy. Trust me.”

    Zexion actually smiled then—a closed tug of the lips, but it was more than the smirks Axel was used to.

    “Thanks, Ax. I think you might be right about this one.”

    “I’m always right. It’s part of my charm.” Axel teased, finishing the last touch-up of his work station.

    His hand was on the lab’s door handle when something soft smacked the back of his head. He turned and caught the towel just before it hit the ground.

    “Vigilance.” Zexion reiterated.

    Axel threw the towel at his butt and left.

~

    One of the downsides of going to community college was that a decent amount of the people Roxas knew from high school went there. Which meant a decent amount of people from high school hadn’t moved away from Twilight Town, and some kids who had left for uni had come back for the summer. Thus, the club was full of familiar faces.

    In the grand scheme of things this wouldn’t have bothered him. Except that Roxas had forgotten his ex would be at the club. Because his ex had come back from uni for the summer—that much he knew, he’d been avoiding all their old hangouts— _and_ was addicted to club-culture.

    Fuck.

    As soon as he caught the familiar shape in his peripheral, he threw himself into the crowd of teens and adults, hoping the taller ones would hide him. Maybe his ex hadn’t seen him. Maybe he was safe. Maybe he could grab Hayner, make an excuse to Pence, and get the hell out without being noticed. Maybe—.

    “Roxas?”

    _Fuck_.

    He felt his body spin around, then he was face to face with his ex, long platinum-blonde hair cascading over his face, icy blue eyes glaring daggers at him.

    Actually, they weren’t. Ice-cold eyes were wide with interest and excitement.

    Roxas decided that that was worse.

    “Uh. Hey, Sephiroth. Didn’t uh. Expect you.” Roxas stammered over every word, Sephiroth’s hands warm, unwelcome weights on his shoulders.

    “How are you, Roxas? It’s been…a while.” Sephiroth didn’t seem angry, his voice loud over the music but soft all the same.

    Roxas swallowed. Hard. He decided to train his eyes on the collar of Sephiroth’s shirt rather than look him in the eye. Seeing his ex-best friend was a nightmare come true.

    “I’m good. You?”

    “Good. Uni’s been fun so far. But hard. But, that’s school for you.” Sephiroth made an attempt at laughing that convinced Roxas the kindness was a charade.

    “Yeah. That’s school.” Roxas agreed absently.

    An awkward moment of silence threatened to eat his heart.

    “Look, Rox, I know it’s been a year, but I was kinda hoping to run into you. I want—.”

    _Oh hell no_.

    Roxas had broken up with Sephiroth for a reason, damnit, and no _we’ve cooled off,_ or _it’s been a while_ , or _I’m sorry_ was going to change his mind.

    Roxas shook of his hands, gave Sephiroth a fake smile, and said, “I gotta go catch up with the guys.”

    Then he ran like hell, weaving his way through crowded, sweaty bodies in an attempt to lose Sephiroth. He stumbled out on the edge of the dance floor, finding himself amongst the tall bar tables and booths. People in various stages of drunk were seated at them, jolly and merry and loud. Roxas wondered if he could slip under a table at one of the booths. They had table cloths, so in theory it would work. He’d just have to convince a bunch of drunk legs not to kick at him.

    His heart hammered as his mental clock ticked down the seconds he had until Sephiroth found him again. He could imagine it now, his name being called out by that grating voice, his soul would just up and die, and he’d be free of this awful, torturous existence.

    “Yo, skater boy!”

    Roxas’ heart jumped into his throat, and he turned to find Axel waving at him from one of the booths.

    If Roxas were staring in a romance film, he would’ve kissed Axel right then and there.

    As it were, Roxas bounded over to the firehead, scrambled over his lap, planted himself between Axel’s tall frame and whoever the guy was sitting with, and slouched his body down low so that most of it was under the table. He looked around at the part of the club he could see from behind Axel and saw Sephiroth appear out of the mass of dancing bodies, frustration clear on his face. Sephiroth searched the people around him before throwing his hands in the air and storming out of Roxas’ vision.

    Roxas deflated against the back of the booth.

    Then he realized he was being gawked at.

    “Sorry.” He said over the music to the pair of green eyes that were most definitely judging him.

    “What the hell—?”

    “Is this Roxas!? Hi! I’m Demyx!” A voice shouted in his other ear, and Roxas whipped his head around to find a guy with a mullet who looked like he listened to too much death metal grinning down at him.

    “Uh. Hi.” Roxas said, completely unsure how this overly-enthusiastic man knew his name.

    He turned back to Axel, who was making a face like he didn’t know whether to bust up laughing or be embarrassed.

    “Gonna explain yourself?” Axel asked after an unnecessarily long staring match.

    “Um. I’m hiding from my ex who I didn’t know was gonna be here.”

    “Ah, classic.” Demyx laughed, and another voice chimed in which made Roxas realized that there was _another_ gothically dressed stranger at the table witnessing his panic mode.

    Could this night get _worse?_

“I’ve done that before.” The blue-haired stranger said seriously, to which Demyx shook his head in utter disbelief.

    “Nuh-uh. This, I gotta hear.”

    Roxas tuned out their discussion. He’d caught sight of Sephiroth again and further sunk toward the ground.

    “Uh. Anything I can help with?” Axel asked from above, a sympathetic smirk on his face.

    The desire to kiss him evaporated.

    “Yeah, act like I’m not here, dumbass.”

    Axel laughed, but he looked up at his friends as though listening to them. He did not, however, stop talking to Roxas.

    “What’s the guy look like?”

    “None of your business.” Roxas snapped.

    How the fuck did Axel know his ex was a guy? Had Olette told him? She must’ve said something, ‘cause in the two whole conversations he’d had with Axel he knew he hadn’t given away something like that. Well. There had been some innuendos passed between them…maybe Axel had picked up on his flirtation after all.

    Roxas realized he’d been staring at the side of Axel’s arm and had lost track of Sephiroth.

    “Oh, shit. I think he found you.” Axel said suddenly, and Roxas looked up to see Axel staring across the club, directly at Sephiroth, who was in fact approaching the table with a scowl that would give children nightmares.

    Roxas made an attempt to get entirely under the table, but instead found himself being hauled upward by very strong arms, one of which remained slung over his shoulders as a mane of red hair threatened to suffocate him. Not to mention forest green eyes which were suddenly _way_ too close to him. Was now a good time to notice that Axel wore eyeliner?

    “Just roll with it.” Axel hissed, then he was turning away and laughing at something Demyx had said.

    Roxas played along, sliding an arm around Axel’s waist and chuckling in Demyx’s general direction until he heard his name spoken yet again by the voice that gave him nightmares. All four occupants of the table stared up at the intruder.

    “Roxas. Who’s this.” It was an accusatory statement, not a question.

    Roxas made sure a false grin was plastered on his face as he answered. Sephiroth was glaring at him, and he felt a twist in his gut. That was a look he was used to.

    “Oh, hey! These are my friends.” He said, making a quick gesture at the three guys who’d become his saviors.

    Demyx, Axel, and the blue-haired guy gave Sephiroth matching death-stares.

    “I know these aren’t your friends, these guys are older than you. Why are you hiding from me? I just want to talk.” Sephiroth’s voice was quiet, hurt, as if he really meant what he said.

    Roxas wasn’t going to fall for that a second time.

    “I’m kinda…busy.” Roxas said, making a show of putting his free hand on Axel’s chest.

    His fingers rested on the chain of a necklace, something sharp poking into his thumb. He could also feel the slight, fast-paced beat of Axel’s heart and the warmth of his skin through his thin t-shirt. If Sephiroth hadn’t been there looking ready to kill, Roxas might have gotten distracted.

    “Who’re you?” Axel asked, genuine curiosity underneath the hostility in his voice.

    Whether his curiosity was for the charade or real, Roxas didn’t want to know.

    “Sephiroth. Roxas and I have known each other forever—he’s my best friend. I’ve been trying to visit with him since I got back but he hasn’t texted back.”

    Why was he trying to play the victim? Roxas had gotten an entirely new cellphone so that Sephiroth could never talk to him again. He’d deleted all of his social media because of him. There was no way he was gonna let Sephiroth sweet-talk Axel.

    “Don’t lie to him.” Roxas snapped.

    “It kinda seems like Rox wants you to leave him alone.” Axel added venomously.

    “Aren’t you a little old to be hanging out with him?” Sephiroth hissed, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring ice shards at Axel, who tensed against Roxas.

    “I’m twenty-one, jackass, don’t be gross.” He shot back.

    Huh. Axel was only two years older than him? Roxas had guessed more, too.

    “Not to, uh, interrupt, but us science majors don’t tend to enjoy drama, so if you could wrap this up and fuck off soon, that would be most appreciated.” Axel’s blue-haired friend, whose name Roxas needed to find out just for that, spoke up, his tone level and bored.

    Sephiroth blanched, as if just realizing that there were other people witnessing his harassment of Roxas.

    “Seriously, _Sephiroth_ , get lost.” Demyx growled, emphasizing his name as though he found it ridiculous.

    Who _were_ these guys? They sounded genuinely intimidating when they’d been bubbly and friendly minutes ago.

    “When you want some _better_ company, call me.” Sephiroth leered at Roxas, then by some small miracle, left.

    Roxas dropped his forehead on Axel’s bony shoulder and mumbled, “You’re a life savior, you know that?”

    Axel laughed. “You owe me, Rox.”

    That was a given.

    “He’s gone.” Axel said after a moment, then retracted his arm.

    Roxas reluctantly followed his lead. _Axel’s warm_ , was the excuse that ran through his mind, even though there was no need for warmth in a brick building full of body heat in the middle of summer.

    His hand caught on the necklace, though, so he picked it up and examined the charm. It was solid silver, with eight spikes pointing out from a circular center. A red line of paint lined the inside of the circle, while little orange flames were etched into the outer rim.

    “What is it?” Roxas asked, not recognizing what was clearly a miniature weapon.

    “A chakram. They’re originally from India.” Axel explained.

        They were leaning close together to hear each other over the music, and the proximity threatened to make Roxas dizzy. Green eyes with depth like the universe taunted him, daring his heart to make him do something, _anything_. Axel smirked, drawing Roxas’ attention downward, and for the first time he noticed that Axel had tattoos _on his face_. A pair of matching upside down tear drops, one under each eye. Had those been there the whole time? Surely he would’ve noticed.

    “It looks dangerous.” Roxas breathed, unsure if he meant the necklace or Axel.

    Then he remembered the other guys, and tore himself away to thank them for helping. Demyx just laughed and said, “Anytime!” while the other held out a hand that Roxas shook.

    “I’m Zexion. It’s nice to meet you, Roxas.”

    With pleasantries out of the way, Demyx and Zexion returned to chatting about Zexion’s own exes and Roxas pulled his phone out of his pocket to text Hayner and Pence. He hadn’t seen them in an hour so they’d be expecting him to check in right around now, anyway.

    **I ran into Seph. Can we go soon?** He sent to both of them.

    Before he put his phone away, he checked the time. Ten fifty. They’d only been here since nine—the guys weren’t going to want to leave. He could convince Hayner so Pence could party on with the basketball guys. Hayner would understand more than Pence since he’d actually known Sephiroth, whereas Roxas had only told Pence and Olette parts of the whole story.

    “I’m gonna assume you came with other people?” Axel asked, his voice startling Roxas from his thoughts.

    When he looked back up at Axel, now with the knowledge of the tattoos and smidgeon of distance, he decided he liked how they complemented the man’s face.

    “Yeah. Pence, Hayner, and the basketball guys.” Roxas set his phone on his leg so he’d feel it vibrate.

    “You’re welcome to stay with us ‘til they come find you.” Axel put his arm over the back of the booth, not on Roxas but close enough—inviting in more ways than one.

    Or maybe Sephiroth was hovering and Axel was taking precautions. Either way, Roxas wasn’t going to protest.

    “Yeah, thanks.” Roxas smiled, mind racing to find something witty to say, “Maybe I can learn more about you than pizza and fire.”

    Not what he’d hoped for, but Axel chuckled anyway, angling his body more toward Roxas. So much for personal space. Roxas reminded himself to breathe.

    “ _Fire_ away.”

    Now Roxas actually had to think of a question. With emerald green eyes waiting for him. No pressure.

    “You’re a science major?” He asked, remembering Zexion’s comment.

    Axel nodded. “Chemistry, to be exact. You’re at the CC with Pence and Olette, right?”

    “Yeah. I don’t know what I want to do yet so I’m getting my GE’s out of the way. This fall will be my second year.”

    Roxas mentally scrambled for another question, but Axel beat him to it.

    “Is your closet only full of black-and-white plaid and khaki shorts?”

    Roxas pretended to think about it for a minute, fluffing his own hair and chewing his lip. Axel raised an eyebrow at him, but Roxas knew a look of interest when he saw it. _Score._

    “Of course I have other clothes, doofus. And for the record, these are _cargo_ shorts.”

    “Very Californian of you.” Axel teased.

    It was Roxas’ turn to raise a brow. “Where are you from?”

    “Denver. I got a full-ride.”

    “Lucky.”

    “Hey, I earned it!”

    “What’s Colorado like?” Roxas had travelled a lot with his family, but Colorado hadn’t been one of their go-to’s.

    “Beautiful.” Axel shrugged, a flitter of nostalgia crossing his face before he could hide it.

    “Do you miss it?” 

    He didn’t know what being away from home for a semester or more would feel like. He knew he was going to try it one day—he had dreams of living in Washington state—but even so, the idea of being away from his parents and Sora was intimidating.

    “I miss a lot of things about home, but don’t at the same time. It’s exciting to be somewhere else, to learn how other places live life, meet new people, see new things. Like the sunsets here. They’re gorgeous.”

    Roxas admitted to himself that he’d never bothered to pay much attention to the sunsets. Then his phone buzzed against his leg. It was Hayner.

    **Shit where are you**

**The booths. Look for Axel.**

**Dude no way**

Roxas set his phone down, looking up to find Axel had his free hand held out toward him.

    “Can I—?” He began to ask, but Roxas shoved the phone into his hand.

    “Duh. I owe you ice cream at the very least.”

    Axel had the grace to look pleased for a moment before he put his number into Roxas’ contact list. Then he handed the phone back, grinning like he’d just won the lottery. Roxas read the name he’d given his number.

    _Flurry of Dancing Flames_

“Is that your official code name?” Roxas teased, tucking his phone in his pocket.

    “Got it memorized?” Axel winked.

    “Roxas!”

    They both looked up to find Hayner pushing his way through the crowd to their table.

    “How many exes do you have?” Demyx piped up, sounding exasperated.

    “Nah, this is my best friend, Hayner.” Roxas gave him an apologetic smile.

    Hayner stopped at the edge of the table, out of breath and sweating like it were a hundred degrees in the building.

    “I couldn’t find Pence, have you heard from him?”

    Roxas shook his head, then poked Axel in the ribs. “Let me out.”

    “Oh, _now_ you ask instead of throwing yourself at me?” Axel grumbled, but he hauled himself out of the booth to let Roxas go.

    Roxas thanked them all again, then he and Hayner made for the exit. Hayner furiously texted Pence as they walked to the parking lot.

    “It’s a good thing that idiot brings his own car.” Hayner lamented.

    Roxas could only agree. Pence had a habit of forgetting time when he was clubbing.

    “So, _Axel,_ huh?” Hayner tossed his phone on the passenger seat floor as Roxas slid into the driver’s seat of his dad’s car.

    “For the record, I didn’t know he was gonna be there. Same with Seph.” He defended.

    “Sorry I wasn’t there to punch his lights out.” Hayner sounded genuinely upset he’d missed the opportunity to fight Sephiroth.

    In that moment, as in many others, Roxas knew he was truly lucky to have Hayner as a friend.

    “I’d say maybe next time, but there better not be one.”

    “Yeah well. If there is, call me.”

    Roxas promised he would, then told Hayner to turn up the rock music he’d plugged into the AUX. Thursday night drives home were supposed to be rowdy, not downers, and Roxas wasn’t going to let tonight break tradition.


	4. Day Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First almost date! As always, let me know if there's any grammar/spelling/weirdness errors. Enjoy! <3

** Day Four **

    “What’cha doin’?” Sora’s voice interrupted Roxas’ thought process.

    He watched his little brother roll over the side of the couch and flop on his back with his head next to Roxas’ curled up feet.

    “Nothing.” Roxas said in that way siblings do when they don’t want the other to know what they’re doing.

    He was texting Axel.

    “Is that your boyfriend?” Sora asked, and he snatched the phone from Roxas’ hands.

    There was a brief squabble as Roxas battled Sora for the phone, both of them ending up in a tangle of limbs on the floor. Roxas came out the victor, but by then Sora had sent three texts of gibberish to Axel.

    “You little shit. I’m gonna tell Riku you only brush your teeth once a day.” Roxas threw his phone across the room to safety and resumed the battle.

    Sora managed to get away a few seconds later, standing on the couch and keeping Roxas away with his arms.

    “That’s a lie and you know it!”

    “So!? You sent Axel a bunch of—!”

    “So you _are_ dating Axel! Kairi owes me ten!” Sora practically screamed with joy, then raced up the stairs and locked himself in his room, Roxas’ phone lying abandoned on the floor.

    “ _Teenagers_.” Roxas grumbled as he picked up his phone and sat back down, heart pounding in his chest from the sudden physical exertion.

     **What…was that?** Was Axel’s response to the random strings of letters, one of which had ended up as a hyperlink somehow.

    **Sora got my phone.**

**Siblings, right?**

**The. Worst.**

**Anyway, see you at 5!**

**Yeah, can’t wait :)**

The doorbell rang. Roxas checked the clock—four-forty-two.

“Roxas! My friends are here, get the door!” Sora hollered from his room.

    Roxas rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “You have legs!”

    He got up anyway, and when he opened the front door, Riku, Kairi, and Xion were standing on the other side.

    “Hi Roxas!” Kairi greeted him with a hug before slipping passed.

   “Hey.” Riku gave him a quick high five, being dragged forward by Kairi with his other hand.

    Xion gave him a hug before following the others. Roxas ruffled her hair, Xion squealing and batting his hands away, before he closed the door. Roxas checked his watch as he returned to his place on the couch. A place now occupied by Xion and Riku. He guessed Kairi had gone upstairs to fetch Sora. With a sigh, Roxas sat in the lounge chair perpendicular to the couch.

    “What’re you guys gonna do tonight?” He asked them.

    Xion and Riku exchanged a conspiratorial glance.

    “Movies.” Riku responded in that tone of voice that meant they were definitely not going to be watching movies.

    “I’m taking the car.” Roxas told him, instantly suspicious.

    “No you’re _not_!” Sora hollered as he jumped the stairs.

    Yep. Jumped the stairs. Fool was gonna regret that with his knees in a few years. Kairi stood on the last step behind him, her arms hanging lose over Sora’s shoulders. Roxas noticed the ten dollar bill sticking out of Sora’s closed fist.

    “I can drop you guys off or whatever, but Axel and I are going to the beach.” Roxas explained.

    “At night?”

    “Oh my god you’re _actually_ dating!?”

    “Is that safe?”

    “But Rox!”

    Kairi, Riku, Xion, and Sora all spoke simultaneously. Roxas rose his eyebrows at them all.

    “Two things. First, Axel and I aren’t _dating_ I just owe him ice cream for something. Second, If you guys are gonna watch movies, you don’t need a car anyway.” He narrowed his eyes at Sora, whose expression became sheepish.

    Ha, caught.

    Kairi snatched her ten back and stuffed it down her shirt.

    “Can you drive, Kai?” Xion asked, looking over Riku at Kairi, who shrugged.

    “Yeah, I guess I can. I’ll just pretend I didn’t so mom doesn’t get mad.” She stuck her tongue out at Roxas who didn’t hesitate to copy her.

    “What are you guys _actually_ doing?” Roxas asked right as his phone buzzed.

    He picked it up to see a message from Axel, _text hidden_.

    “It’s a full moon, Rox, what do you think we’re doing?” Sora sassed, wiggling out of Kairi’s grasp and heading over the couch to sit somewhat on and somewhat over Riku.

    It was then Roxas saw the backpack on Sora’s shoulders. Ever since they were elementary school kids, Riku and Sora had created this tradition of going into the woods during a full moon and telling stories over a campfire. Not necessarily spooky or scary ones, just stories. Folk tales, myths, legends, even lore from things like Lord of the Rings, the Elder Scrolls, or even Pokémon. When they had originally started out, Roxas and their parents—alternating between Riku’s and the brothers’—went, too. The adults would have a little campfire while the boys entertained themselves. When Roxas was old enough to manage his little brother and friend, the parents stopped going. Finally, when Riku and Sora started high school, no one batted an eye when they took off for their full moon hikes.

    Roxas sometimes wondered if it was then that they began to fall in love. But that wasn’t his story to know.

    He _did_ know that Kairi, a classmate the boys had adopted as their sister during their freshman year, started going with them their summer before sophomore year. Then, last summer they’d invited their new friend Xion. So, now before their senior year and Xion’s junior year, they had a solidified tradition that Roxas wasn’t going to get in the way of. In fact, if he hadn’t been going out with Axel, he would’ve made the split-second decision to go with them.

    “Don’t get arrested.” He warned needlessly, though he considered calling Xion out for her safety comment.

    The beach was going to be a lot safer than the woods in the dark.

    “We won’t.” The teens chorused.

    “Watch out for Sasquatch. You know he lives up there.”

    Xion rolled her eyes. “It could be a _lady_ sasquatch, you know.”

    Roxas shrugged. “Either way.”

    There was a moment of silence where Kairi sat on the floor below Xion, then all four pairs of eyes trained on Roxas.

    “Um. Is there something stopping you guys from leaving? ‘Cause you’re still not getting the keys…”

    His phone buzzed again, and he made to open it but Kairi’s words froze his thumb.

    “I still haven’t met Axel. I want to know what the buzz about.”

    Roxas unlocked his phone, voice stilted with sudden nervousness. “Oh. Well. Sure, I guess.”

    **Dem’s home. Should be there in five?**

**Roxas? I’m here.**

    “Shit.” Roxas sprang up from the chair, abandoning his phone behind him in his haste to get the door.

    Axel was a pizza man for _money_ , didn’t he know how to use a doorbell?

    Those were very nearly the first words out of Roxas’ mouth when he swung open the door, but the words died on his tongue—Axel had dressed up. Compared to the all-black indistinguishable clothes he’d been wearing in the club exactly a week ago, and the pizza uniform with the tank, hat, and black jeans, Roxas liked this outfit the best. Axel was wearing burgundy skinny-jeans with black combat boots, then a white, black-collared t-shirt with purple galaxy-butterflies on it, and on top a black jacket with rolled up sleeves, buttons undone. He looked sharp.

    Roxas hoped Axel thought the same about him. Because of his comment at the club, Roxas had made sure to wear something _other_ than tan shorts and a black-and-white plaid tonight. Instead, he’d donned black skinny-jeans and a blue-and-black plaid over a forest green tank top. He wasn’t gonna change his shoes though. No one but his mother could force him out of high-tops.

    Axel’s smile stole Roxas’ attention away from his clothes.

    “Hey, pizza man.” He greeted, mimicking Axel’s teasing.

    Axel’s smile widened. “Roxas. You’re looking good.”

    Roxas blamed his blush on what happened next rather than Axel’s compliment and the resulting tingle down his spine, because really, Sora was _embarrassing._

    “You guys! Roxas is hiding his boyfriend from us!” Sora yelled from two feet behind Roxas.

    There was an uproar in the living room, then before Roxas could blink Kairi had already zipped around the corner and pulled Axel into a hug. Then she pushed him back to arms-length and checked him out without any trace of shame.

    “Oh, Roxas! You didn’t say he was _gorgeous!_ ” She cooed, then proceeded to compliment Axel on how well the purple in his tattoos—wait, what purple?—brought out his eyes.

    Riku had hopped up next to Kairi, sizing Axel up like a protective older brother would. Sora had placed an elbow on Roxas’ shoulder and was leaning against him, grinning like the troublemaker he was.

    Axel chuckled good naturedly about the whole thing, returning Kairi’s compliments and asking, “What’s your name?”

    “Kairi! I’m Sora and Riku’s friend.”

    “Well it’s good to meet you. Rox, you ready?” Axel grinned down at him.

    Roxas snatched his wallet and the car keys from the hall table, then gently pushed Axel backward and out the door. He opened the garage with the keypad next to the garage door, apologizing profusely. He didn’t realize Axel was laughing until he was standing close enough that Roxas had to look up. Roxas was never going to get tired of that teasing look in Axel’s eyes, nor of the way his heart jumped for joy at their proximity.

    “You’re apologizing for nothing. Your brother and his friends seem pretty cool.”

    “It’s like my sibling multiplied into three.” Roxas argued.

    Axel cackled, so Roxas half-heartedly punched his arm.

    “Hey!”

    The garage door finished opening. Roxas unlocked the car, a Honda Civic his parents had gotten two years ago just when the brand had gotten their cool upgrade.

    “They were supposed to have left,” Roxas explained as they climbed in, “But Kairi wanted to meet you.”

    “Apparently I’m gorgeous.” Axel flashed a smile that just confirmed it, in Roxas’ mind.

    This time, Roxas had no excuse for his blush. He began to back out the car, but stopped dead when he saw Xion standing behind it. She ducked around the vehicle and Roxas opened his door a smidge so he could talk to her—it was faster than rolling down the window.

    “You forgot your phone, Roxas.” Xion handed him his phone, her voice subdued.

    He was thrilled she’d found it before any of the others, but wasn’t sure what else to say. Something was troubling her.

    “Thanks, Xion. Don’t know what I’d do without you.” Roxas put his phone in one of the cup-holders between the front seats.

    “You guys be safe, okay?” She said, then leaned in and gave Roxas a quick hug before slinking away.

    They were hardly out of the driveway before Axel asked, “So…did you tell them this was a date, or are they doing the sibling thing?”

    The awkward sound that came out of Roxas was half laugh half choking-on-air. “Sibling thing.”

    Axel laughed, reached over and ruffled Roxas’ hair. “That’s what I thought.”

    “Hey!” Roxas protested, swatting his hand.

    “Your hair’s just so fluffy. I can’t resist.”

    “You’ll lose your hand if you try again.”

    “Is that a dare?”

    Roxas glanced away from the road to find Axel smirking coquettishly at him. If looks could kill, Roxas knew his heart would’ve stopped. How was it that he had such a handsome devil in his car, who hadn’t given off a single hint that he was secretly straight this whole time?

    “Don’t test me.”

    “I’m tempted.” Axel _purred_ , shifting in his seat to swipe out a hand at Roxas’ hair, faster than lightning.

    “Okay, not fair while I’m driving!” Roxas hollered, his body reacting in at least four different ways to what Axel had just done.

    Axel busted into a fit of giggles.

   Being that they lived in a small town, it took all of five minutes for them to drive from Roxas’ house to the ice cream parlor. All of five minutes for Roxas to realize that he and Axel got along _too well_ already. Five minutes to fall hopelessly in love.

~

    Axel hadn’t been to this part of the beach yet. It was beautiful with enormous, jagged black islands standing tall in the sand or a few hundred meters from shore, a shore which stretched far from solid ground and was lit silver by the darkening sky. _Moonstone Beach_ , the sign had called it. He couldn’t disagree.

    It had taken him and Roxas a few hours to get here. First, they’d gotten ice cream like Roxas had promised. When he mentioned he’d never tried Roxas’ favourite flavor, sea salt, the next thing he knew he was holding a cone with a generous scoop of it. Three licks in and he declared it was the best flavor he’d ever had, Cold Stone®’s cotton candy aside. They’d mourned that Roxas couldn’t remember the last time he’d been to Cold Stone®, or Olive Garden for that matter. Axel vowed to take him some time.

    That had sparked conversation about Axel’s life back in Denver. There was a lot Axel wasn’t ready for Roxas to know, and a decent amount of that revolved around Saïx. So, he focused most of his stories on the shenanigans his sister, Namine, or his best friend, Larxene, had gotten him up to as kids, before they’d gone to high school and he’d met Saïx. Stories like exploring through the thick underbrush of the creek at the bottom of their cul-de-sac, or playing hide-and-seek around the house one night where they couldn’t find Larxene for at least an hour, when she’d been under a table on the back porch the whole time.

    Roxas traded stories of his own as they’d first gone to one beach, then another, beach-hopping their way northward. The time he and Riku thought they’d lost Sora in the community forest behind the university, on a night like this one where they’d gone up there to tell stories, only to have Sora pop out from behind a tree with a crown of leaves and waving sticks as big as himself to try and look like a monster. Roxas had blamed his brother’s bloody lip on Riku, but it was his fault they’d been banned from seeing one another for a week. He told Axel stories from the last year of high school, about playing pranks on his brother and his friends, with Hayner, or how they’d played street hockey in the skate park instead of going to senior prom.

    Axel noticed how he neglected any mention of that asshole from the club, Sephiroth. It seemed that Roxas had dark parts of his own past he wasn’t ready to share.

    When they’d parked below the restaurant at Moonstone, Roxas had pulled a thick blanket from the trunk, sand dusting off of it already. Then they’d set off down the beach, aiming for a spot as far as could be from other people before the rising tide posed a threat. It was there below the cliffs that Axel sat, watching the sand turn to silver, while Roxas lay on his back and watched the sky turn black. The fog had burned off early in the day, so the sky was clear with stars beginning to twinkle.

   “Did you know the stars are other worlds? Billions of them, lighting up the sky with the power of the hearts that live on them.” Roxas murmured.   

    Axel turned away from the natural beauty of the Earth to gaze down at Roxas, a different beauty all on his own. He balanced his weight between an arm by Roxas’ head and his legs so that he could lean over the blonde a little. Just a little. He wasn’t going to push it. People had different views on P.D.A., as Axel had once learned the hard way.

    “Yeah, dork, they’re called planets.” Axel deadpanned, knowing full well he was ruining a moment that Roxas had probably spent the last ten minutes trying to put together.

    “You’re a dick, you know that?” Roxas glared up at him.

    “Oh, Roxy, you’ve just discovered my life long aspiration. I want to be the biggest dick of them all.” Axel gave his voice a dramatic flair to emphasize how ridiculous he found Roxas’ comment.

    Roxas made a face like he’d eaten a lemon. “Did you just call me _Roxy_?”

    “Ven said it once, don’t blame me.”

    “I’m absolutely going to kill him.” Roxas growled up at the stars.

    “Hey now, I still need my job. Did I mention the free pizzas benefit yet?”

    “I still have Cloud, he’s unaffiliated.”

    “Look at you, planning murder. Hot.” Axel teased.

    He always was a bit more cavalier in the dark.

    Roxas’ eyes flickered back to him. Then back to the stars, then back to him, then closed. Roxas let out a huff.

    “I can’t think of a comeback.”

    “Ha! I win.” Axel cheered, poking Roxas in the ribs and causing him to jolt upright so they nearly conked heads. Nearly, only because Axel dodged out of the way. Roxas fell back on his elbows, Axel still leaning over him _a little too much_.

    Roxas licked his lips, and Axel felt a tingle of excitement tumble down his spine. This could be it, the start of something new. Something promising, good, honest. But there was always a catch. Always something in the way…Axel just hadn’t been around Roxas long enough to find out what that was. He needed to wait.

    Axel leaned away, righting himself so he could stare out at the crashing waves and clear his mind. Roxas sat up, too, ducking his head and mussing his hair with his knees splayed.

    “If this _had_ been a date, would you have done it?” Roxas asked, so quietly Axel almost missed the question.

    “Yeah.” He sighed, not bothering to hide the truth.

    He’d liked Roxas since the day they met, and it was pretty obvious Roxas liked him, too. There wasn’t any reason to hide. Not like before. _This_ wasn’t going to be like before. Axel just had to convince himself of it. He had to convince himself that there wasn’t a catch.

    Then he could actually kiss Roxas.

    “Would it be too much to ask for one? A date, I mean.” Roxas looked up at him, eyes wide in the dark like he expected Axel to reject him.

    As if he could.

    “Aw, Rox. Of course I’ll go out with you!” He drawled in the best imitation of a Southern woman’s accent he could muster.

    It ended up sounding far more flamboyant than intended, but Roxas laughed anyway.

    “Yep, it’s official. World’s biggest dick.”

    Axel couldn’t believe the auditory goldmine. “Jeeze, Rox, don’t knock it ‘til you see it.”

    Roxas had, apparently, come to the end of his rope. He stood, yanked the blanket out from under Axel, and began to shake it out and fold it at the same time. Axel got to his feet, slightly miffed but feeling like he definitely deserved that. He pulled out his phone to check the time—nine-twenty. The sunsets were so late out here compared to those in Colorado.

    Roxas had a frown on his face the whole way back to the car. He hadn’t said another word, so Axel had left him to his thoughts, choosing to watch the silvery waves crash onto the black sand. The ocean was a different beast at night, more formidable and celestial than during the day where she was playful and energizing. Axel had always loved the ocean, and even having lived near her for three years, he still felt awed whenever he got to visit.

    The slam of the trunk jolted Axel from his thoughts.

    “I have an idea, for the date.” Roxas said, still standing by the trunk and looking a little nervous.

    “Fire away.” Axel smiled.

    He’d already loved the time they’d spent together today. Roxas was good at coming up with fun things to do.

    “How big into hiking are you?”

    Axel leaned against the side of the car. “I don’t keep up this thin frame through magic, Rox.”

    Roxas dropped his head into his hands. “Are you genuinely incapable of giving straight answers?”

    Was the kid even aware he was feeding Axel these lines?   

    “I thought you didn’t want me to be straight.” He said with just as much sincerity as Roxas.

    Roxas moved one finger out of the way so he could glare at Axel. Unfortunately, rather than be intimidated, Axel found the gesture downright endearing. From their interactions in the days before, he hadn’t taken Roxas to be such a hothead. Now that he knew about it, however, Axel decided Roxas couldn’t exist any other way.

    “I can’t decide if I want to fight you or kiss you to make you shut up.”

    Really, he was perfect.

    “I might not stop you, this time.” Axel murmured, keeping his voice low because he’d noticed a few people walking in their direction and was hoping Roxas would get the hint.

    It might have been two-thousand-eighteen, but that hadn’t stopped people from hating those they chose not to understand. Axel preferred not to take risks.

    Roxas sighed, shook himself, then gestured for Axel to get in the car. The atmosphere as they drove home was tense in the fun way, but Axel wasn’t sure what to do with it. He’d more or less already promised himself to wait until their official first date, so he was determined to stick to it. Even when Roxas set his hand down on the center console, palm up for Axel, he kept his cool. He took Roxas’ hand and wove their fingers together, thrilled with how such little contact could create such electricity, but left it at that.

    To distract them both, Axel told Roxas another story about Namine. He told him that his sister was a professional artist in L.A., doing graphic design for a company while selling her canvas paintings on the side. Roxas seemed genuinely interested and impressed, so Axel told him of his favourite painting Namine had done of their pet cat, Chester, who’d passed away just a year after Namine completed the painting. He left out that it had been this year, in April, but couldn’t hide how his throat had tightened at the thought of his beloved childhood friend. Pets were the best of friends, and Roxas agreed, telling Axel of a dog he and Sora had used to have named Pluto, who’d passed away while they were both in high school.

    Roxas dropped Axel off at his apartment complex. When they pulled up alongside the curb, Axel could see a light on in the living room and the flash of the TV that indicated Demyx was probably playing video games.

    “Thanks for the ice cream. And the beach tours.” Axel said as he let go of Roxas’ hand and made to open his door.

    He always struggled with new door handles, and this fancy new car was no different. The _ka-chunk_ of the switch announced that Roxas had unlocked it for him.

    “Thanks for saving my ass last week. And, now I’ve officially seen a sunset here.”

    They shared a smile, then Axel hauled himself out of the car. “Goodnight, Roxas.”

    “Night, Axel.”

    Axel hurried inside, knowing he needed to let the night end but still wishing he were with Roxas. In the doorway, he took off his shoes and pushed them next to Demyx’s, then began to shuck out of his jacket before realizing that there had been another pair of shoes there. Zexion’s, in fact.

    As quietly as he could, Axel snuck down the short hall and peered around the corner into the living room. There, passed out on the couch in a muddle of limbs, were Demyx and Zexion.

    Axel snapped a picture with his camera. This had turned out to be a night of his dreams.


	5. Day Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went back and fixed some minor continuity/grammar/weirdness. A re-read won’t be necessary since the plot/scenes haven’t changed, unless something I messed up was bothering you. Also, I’m thinking of having a soriku chapter. Let me know what y’all think!

    Ventus was up front when the doorbell announced a customer, so Axel paid it no mind and kept chopping the tomatoes. He didn’t like the way they smelled and was trying to think of better smells—lavender, honey, sea water, sulfur…

    “He’s in the back, I’ll grab him.” He heard Ventus say right as one of the little red fuckers shot juice into his eye.

    Fumbling over to the sink and ignoring the sound of footsteps, Axel wet a paper towel and pushed it at his eye until he could see again.

    “Don’t tell me you cut yourself with the knife.” Ventus’ voice came from behind him.

    Axel explained about the damn tomatoes, then threw the towel in the trash. His eye still stung a little.

    “You’re not gonna lose your eye. Now quit making my cousin wait and go say hi.” Ventus said, pushing passed Axel to grab some gloves to continue with the tomatoes himself.

    “What?” Axel threw his own gloves away and went out front to find Roxas reading one of the motivational posters on the wall.

    The kid was wearing his standard unbuttoned black-and-white plaid on top of tan shorts and a black top. His messy blonde hair looked spikey with sweat, and he was wearing elbow guards. A skate board sat by the front door, white-and-black underside facing Axel. Roxas really had a theme going on.

    “You’re early.” Axel announced.

    Roxas startled from his reading and whirled to face Axel, a shy smile and slight blush gracing his face.

    “Hey. I uh, got abandoned at the park, so I figured I may as well come over here.”

    Roxas was even cuter flustered. Axel was so screwed. It had only been a few days since their not-date, and their real first date was…well, in twenty minutes. Apparently Roxas was just as eager to see him again as Axel was.

    “Want a snack while you wait?” Axel asked, unsure how to keep Roxas entertained for twenty minutes while he was supposed to be working.

    Roxas rolled his lip between his teeth, that mischievous glint in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say what was sure to be another goldmine response for Axel, but Ventus interrupted by shouting from the back,

    “Whatever it is, it’s free. I’d take advantage, if I were you.”

    Axel and Roxas shared a smile, then Axel turned his attention from Roxas to log on to the computerized cash register.

    “What’s your favourite pizza?” Roxas asked, coming over to the register and leaning his hands on the counter.

    Axel glanced up at eyes bluer than blue and managed to say, “Anything with pesto.”

    “Hmm. That does sound good. Okay, get me a slice of the best thing with pesto.” Roxas said, and Axel wanted to fight him for rolling his lip between is teeth _again_ after he stopped speaking.

    It was unfair.

    Axel typed in his favourite basil-pesto with chicken and artichoke, then left Roxas to fetch himself some soda while he went in the back to start on the pizza. Ventus made a face when he spotted Axel heading for the walk-in freezer.

    “You entertain him, I’ll make his food. He came here to see _you_ ,” Ventus said, steadily raising his voice so Roxas could hear him, “Not even his dear old cousin. Careful or you might pick up a lost puppy.”

    Axel wasn’t sure what to say to that—now he wasn’t even sure how much Roxas and Ven actually communicated. As half-brothers he would’ve guessed that Roxas would’ve told Ven about their not-date, but maybe they weren’t that close. Also, why was it that Ven had only mentioned the half-brothers thing, and once at that, while Roxas hadn’t said a thing?

   These questions plagued his mind as he abandoned his apron in the staff room, typed in a ten minute break he was overdue for anyway, and went out to find Roxas sitting at a table still reading posters.

    “Aqua likes uplifting stuff.” Axel explained as he sat in the chair opposite Roxas, leaning forward with his elbows crossed on the surface.

    “I’ve met her a few times, so it tracks.” Roxas agreed, “Sora would really like these posters.”

    “He does seem pretty cheery.”

    “Yep, always the optimist. How’s your day been?” Roxas took a sip of his soda and placed his attention on Axel, his posture relaxed as he leaned against the back of his chair.

    “Lazy. This morning I just watched some TV before coming here. How’s yours?”

    “Xion and I were at the skate park. Then she went home…” Roxas trailed off with a shrug, the _I thought I’d say hi_ already spoken.

    “Tell me if I’m crossing lines,” Axel spoke as he did some mental math, “But, you mentioned someone taught you all those skateboarding skills. Was it Sephiroth?”

    Roxas shifted, looking away across the store as he nodded. “Yeah, he uh. Look, Axel, it’s…”

    He trailed off, then looked back up at Axel and said, voice full of a sadness Axel wished he’d never hear from Roxas again, “We really were best friends, since first grade.”

    Roxas’ eyes flitted away again, his expression downcast.

    “I’m sorry you lost him,” Axel knew exactly how it felt to lose a childhood friend—particularly one he’d gotten messed up in, “And, don’t feel like you ever have to tell me more, if you don’t want to. I get it.”

    “Yeah. Sometimes shit happens.” Roxas shrugged, looking back up at Axel, eyes narrowing as he changed the subject, “Your tattoos are gone.”

    Axel was impressed with how rapidly Roxas’ tone had shifted from melancholy to annoyed. He could not, however, have Roxas ratting him out to his boss.

    “Shh, don’t give me away!” He hissed, glancing over his shoulder for dramatic effect. Neither Ventus nor Aqua were present.

    “Wait, did you cover them when you got interviewed?” Roxas caught on far too quickly.

    “Yeah.” Axel wasn’t ashamed at how far he’d go to keep a job.

    With tatts like his, the most professional gig he could expect would be stripping. Or at least, that’s what his mother had told him. Axel refused to let a decision he’d made at eighteen destroy his professional career, especially since he considered his reason getting his tattoos completely valid. On the upside, as a chemlab scientist, once his future bosses got to know him they probably wouldn’t blink twice when he stopped covering them up. No customer service, no problem.

    “What do you do at school?” Roxas sounded genuinely concerned.

    “Ah, no one cares. College kids have been known to do far weirder stuff.”

    Roxas nodded, a look in his eye as though he’d definitely seen weird on his own campus.

    “Speaking of secrets, are you and Ven actually half-brothers?” Axel asked, the question nagging his brain.

    Roxas stared at him like he’d just said he was a member of the Illuminati. Then, with slow deliverance, he set down his soda, stood up, and stormed into the kitchen. There was the sound of muffled, angry voices, then a distinct _thwack_ before Roxas reappeared and joined Axel again.

    “One time, he convinced this group of kids I was a clone made by aliens.” Roxas snapped, still glaring over Axel’s shoulder toward the kitchen.

    So help him, Axel couldn’t keep the smirk from his face. “Oh, did he?”

    Roxas’ glare slid to him, then melted. “Ven’s such an ass. We’re _cousins_ and genetics are magic, end of story.”

    They chatted more about Roxas’ dwindling ability to out-score Xion at skating, then Ven brought Roxas his pizza slice and Axel returned to finish the last ten minutes of his shift. This mostly consisted of him finishing the battle with the tomatoes.

    Finally, he and Roxas left the store and began the walk to the community forest. Roxas apologized for not having his car, since that morning Sora had taken off with it before he could hide the spare keys. Axel didn’t voice it, but he didn’t mind. It meant he could spend more time with Roxas, and the beginning of the hiking trail had bike racks.

    Axel had done the hike itself hundreds of times, so he let the scenery of the lush green forest slide by in favor of paying attention to Roxas. He noticed that Roxas wasn’t a hand talker like himself, keeping his fingers hooked in his belt loops or pockets instead. He noticed how Roxas’ hair glinted gold in certain light. He noticed that Roxas had a soft, small smile on his face the entire time.

    They talked about school, families, politics, dreams for the future…the usual things one talks about when getting to know someone new. Axel learned that Roxas wanted to live in Washington, and Roxas learned that Axel planned on moving somewhere where he could own ferrets.

    The sun was setting by the time they made the full loop along the trail, exiting into the parking lot. Axel fetched his bike, then he and Roxas continued toward town. They hadn’t made any plans for today other than the hike, and so the feeling of having to go their separate ways built up between them as they got closer to where they’d have to say goodbye. But before it got too unbearable, Roxas saved them.

    They stopped at a corner that Axel knew lead to Roxas’ street—he was a homing pigeon, all he had to do was go somewhere once and he’d remember how to get there again. The hesitation was brief, then Roxas put a hand on one of the horns of Axel’s bike, their pinkies nearly brushing. Roxas looked up, smile more self-assured and excited.

    “Want to come over? We could watch a movie or something.”

    Axel’s heart did a little dance. This was a real date, after all, and a movie would be a perfect excuse for some cuddling and…something.

    Axel made sure his smile was suggestive as he leaned forward on his handle bars, making himself eye to eye with Roxas. “Yeah, sounds great. Do you like eighties movies?”

    Roxas made an exaggerated face of disgust. “Anything but those.”  

    “Hey now, there’s nothing more romantic than John Huges.” Axel placed a hand—not the one close to Roxas’—over his heart in mock-offense.

    “Oh god please tell me you’re joking.” Roxas sounded like the movie-invite would be lost if Axel didn’t.

    Axel grinned. “Definitely. I dated a girl once who thought John Huges’ films were literally how romances were supposed to go.”

    Roxas snorted, and Axel noted that he didn’t react to the not-so-subtle yet unintentional _I’m not gay._ “Oh yeah? How long did that last?”

    “Until I could ditch her after dinner. For the record she had a ride.”

    Roxas laughed, then removed himself from the bike and hopped on his board, letting himself begin to roll away. “I didn’t take you for the ditch-and-run type. Guess I’m lucky.”

    “Saving your own ass is a tough but important call.” Axel defended, hoping on his bike and following Roxas.

    “Race you.” Roxas said, then he took off.

    Axel easily caught up to him—there was much to be said for his junky five-speed—then blew past. When he rounded the corner of Roxas’ street, the scrape of skateboard wheels behind him, he noticed that an unfamiliar car was in Roxas’ driveway. He wondered if it were Kairi’s or Riku’s.

    Then, the scraping behind him distinctly stopped, the sound of something fast hitting the sidewalk replacing it.

    “Wait!” Roxas called out, but Axel was already coming to a halt.

    He turned his head to find Roxas waving him frantically to come to him, where he was standing behind the frame of another house, out of view of his own street. Confusion evident, Axel joined him on the sidewalk.

    “My parents are home.” Roxas explained.

    Ah, was this it? The catch Axel had been waiting for?

    “Is that bad?” Axel asked anyway, playing ignorant to Roxas’ panicked tone.

    “Uh. Yeah. Look I know I’m out of high school and you’ll probably think it’s dumb, and we also haven’t really talked about anything queer yet but…” Roxas had both of his hands in his hair, which he seemed to notice because he took them out and crossed his arms over his chest, giving Axel a pleading look as though willing him to understand and not judge, “I haven’t come out to them yet.”

    And there it was! Laid out ever so clearly for him—the catch. Roxas was a closet case, at least in terms of his parents, but Axel had spent plenty time dodging around parents who didn’t know…. He knew how much of an issue that could be.

    For a moment, he just met Roxas’ gaze and thought. He’d found his catch, but honestly? It was one he knew how to deal with. It wasn’t that Roxas wasn’t out to his close friends—the people who really mattered—or that he wasn’t interested in more than a string of one-nighters, or that he was planning on pretending he’d never met Axel even though he’d known him for years…

    Hiding a relationship from parents took work, but it wasn’t impossible. It just meant Axel couldn’t touch Roxas when they could see, or text him anything lewd if they had the nasty habit of monitoring his cell phone. It just meant they’d have to be extra careful in public, since this was a small town and news travelled fast. It just meant that, until Roxas decided to come out or until they left the area—and man, wasn’t _that_ a forward thought—their relationship would have to be behind closed doors. To the world, they’d be best friends. To those who truly knew them, they’d be each other’s dream come true.

    Or, so he’d like to think. He had to try and stay positive. This would work out, better than Saïx, better than those one-nighters, better than anything else. It would because he wanted it to, and so did Roxas. Right?

    But, wait, what about—?

    “What about Sora?” Axel asked his question aloud.

    “He’s not out, either.”

    Okay. So, their parents might be homophobic then. This conversation was going to have to be long, and Axel decided that since Roxas was already uncomfortable it was best not to continue it in the street.

    “Totally up to you—we can go to my place and continue talking about this and watch a movie, or we can call it a night.”

    Roxas’ gaze had drifted to his skateboard, and he was worrying his lip, face drawn in distress. Axel let him think, standing by what he’d said even though he desperately didn’t want Roxas to leave. If they left the conversation here tonight, Roxas might mistakenly think Axel wasn’t going to be interested anymore. The catch would become yet another curse on Axel’s growing list.

    But then, Roxas’ scowl turned back to him, melting into a hopeful, calculating look.

    “Let’s go to your place.”

    Axel tried to keep the relieved smile from his face, but failed miserably. “Okay.”

    They hopped back onto their respective transportation and headed for Axel’s apartment. As they went, he shot off a text to Demyx.

    **You and Zex better have clothes on, Rox and I are in-bound**


	6. Five.Two

** Day Five.Two **

    Demyx and Zexion were seated on the couch—fully clothed—when Roxas and Axel walked in shortly after dark. Both turned their heads to see who’d walked into the living room, and Demyx tripped over his own feet in his hurry to grab Roxas in a hug.

    “Welcome to our humble abode!” He stood back and held out his arms to gesture around the room.

    Roxas was immediately under the impression that Demyx had control over the living room décor. Rock and metal band posters filled the walls. In front of the couch, on a TV stand clearly grabbed from a thrift store, was a decent sized TV hooked up to a PlayStation. A shoddy bookshelf sat in one corner with DVDs, games, and textbooks piled haphazardly on it. The floor was clean, with one potted plant set on a stand above the carpet near the lone window. It looked nice, for a pair of college-aged men.

    “We’ll be in my room if you need me.” Axel gave Zexion a wave hello, then steered Roxas further down the hallway.

    They passed an opening that lead to a kitchen, then a bathroom, and finally two more doors at the end. Axel opened the closed one and went in. Roxas trailed behind, taking in Axel’s room. Apparently, he’d been wrong about the living room. Axel had just as many band posters, so many that they lined the walls like wallpaper. A desk took up half the room with a fish tank sat on the edge, while the made-up bed—with incongruous Lilo and Stitch covers—took up the other. His clothes were piled up in a hamper, a mix of reds and black as Roxas had so far only seen him wear. Once again, Roxas was impressed and pleased at how clean it was. Pence’s room was a nightmare compared to this.

    Axel sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes, both landing near the door which Roxas closed behind him.

    “We can steal the TV or watch a movie on my laptop. Whatever you wanna do.” Axel said.

    Roxas was still reading all of the posters. He’d noticed there were a few movie posters in the mix, including Marvel and Harry Potter. There was even a Final Fantasy Poster. At first, Roxas hadn’t taken Axel for the nerdy type, but the older man donned it with class. They’d talked about his various pop culture interests, and Roxas loved how many fan theories Axel had come up with for the stories he was deeply invested in.

    He returned his attention to Axel, who was watching him with a mix of amusement and concern on his face. He appreciated how many outs Axel was trying to give him—first to end the night, second to just watch a movie—so that he didn’t feel like he had to explain himself. However, Roxas didn’t want to have the conversation _later_ because he knew if they put it off it would probably never happen.

    “Let’s do the laptop, those guys looked cozy.” He took off his shoes and dumped them next to Axel’s while the other man fetched his laptop from his desk.

    They arranged themselves perpendicular on the bed with their backs against the wall and their feet dangling off the side. Axel went about pulling up Netflix while Roxas decided how to start talking about the situation with his parents. He decided on something simple.

    “So, remind me. Demyx is your roommate, and he and his friend…Zexen? Are dating as of four days ago?”

    “Zexion. And yeah, they’ve been dancing around each other for years.” Axel set the computer on his thighs while Netflix took the standard ten years to load.

    His green eyes flicked over to Roxas, who decided it was unfair that Axel was still taller than him _sitting down_.

    “Do you generally make friends with other queer people?”

    “Yeah, it’s like magnets or something, we just kinda gravitate. Obviously I’m not friends with _all_ the queer people I know, but most of my friends are queer.” Axel shrugged, indicating he didn’t think much of it.

    “Outside of Sora, Riku, and Sephiroth, I haven’t really known anyone else.” Roxas admitted.

    Having grown up in a small town, being out wasn’t safe, and so if any of the kids he’d suspected of not being straight in high school had turned out to be so, Roxas would never know since they’d all escaped to colleges somewhere else. The community college had a pride center, but Roxas hadn’t visited it yet. The idea made him nervous, not because they wouldn’t welcome him, but because he was unsure what would happen if someone who wasn’t Pence, Hayner, or Olette saw him.

    “I feel like singing _I can show you the world_ right now.” Axel teased, poking Roxas’ arm with his elbow.

    “Unironically, you might have to. Sora and Riku are the ones more invested in ‘gay culture’ as they call it.”

    Axel laughed at Roxas air quotes. “That’s alright. Not everybody has to obsess over rainbows.”

    Roxas felt elated to be talking about being gay with another queer person _and_ to be accepted. Not to mention the person was _Axel,_ the hottest guy he’d met all year—and was on a date with, as unconventional a date as it was. He took a deep breath,

    “So, about my parents. They’re not homophobic, as far as Sora and I know. I mean they teach at the uni and you know how liberal that place is. It’s just that, mom always talks about Sora and I meeting women and having kids, the whole nine yards. She’s even told me she wishes Sora would date Kairi. And my dad’s such a worry-wort…If he found out about what Sephiroth did he’d freak. He and I just don’t know how to tell them. We don’t want to disappoint them or worry them, you know?”

     Axel nodded. “Dealing with worried parents is hard. Don’t let anyone tell you your reasons aren’t valid, okay?”

    Roxas felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders. Axel had taken it all in stride, hadn’t gotten furious with him for wanting to keep their relationship on the down low, hadn’t turned him away and sworn never to speak to him again. He felt genuinely happy.

    “Okay.”

    Axel pulled his laptop closer since Netflix had finally loaded. “Honestly, back by your house I was worried the situation was worse. And I don’t like what you imply about that Sephiroth kid, but again, we don’t have to talk about it for me to know that if I see him again I’m gonna kick his ass.”

    Roxas laughed, then feeling compelled, he wrapped around Axel in a side-hug. “Thanks, Axel. You’re awesome.”

    Axel leaned into the hug. “Get it memorized.”

    When Roxas let go, he made sure to leave his side pressed against Axel’s. Together they decided to watch a Disney movie to lighten things up. Netflix still had Finding Dory which Axel hadn’t seen, so they put it on and slowly but surely ended up cuddling by the end. As the credits rolled, Roxas’ ears picked up Axel’s heartbeat, and he let his eyes close to enjoy the sound and the feeling of safety that washed over him. No, he hadn’t known Axel for long and yes, it took a while for new friends’ true colors to shine through. But Roxas innately trusted him. There was just something so _right_ about being with Axel, as friends and more.

    “Uh…you falling asleep there, buddy?” Axel’s amused voice rumbled against Roxas’ ear.

    Roxas jolted up, not having noticed just how fuzzy his mind had gotten. He found himself face to face with Axel, whose smile was equally amused.

    “Shit, I think I was.”

    “I think we’ll have to save the sleepover for another date.” Axel’s voice became a low teasing purr that had Roxas realize just how close their faces really were.

    Jitters tumbled down his spine, piling in his stomach and morphing into butterflies. The mere insinuation of sex with the man he’d become so infatuated with in the past weeks set his blood ablaze.

    “I’m lucky enough to get two, huh?” Roxas teased, moving his arm from around Axel’s waist so he could put a hand on the man’s chest.

    “Play your cards right, you’ll get lucky in more ways than one.” Axel winked.

    Roxas smiled, the air between them thick and laden with promises and excitement. They let it hang for a moment as the feeling of _future_ sank in.

    Then remembering how their last not-date had ended, Roxas asked, “Kiss me?”

    So, Axel did. The butterflies burst into fireworks as their lips connected, at first light, then pressing and yearning. A hand snaked its way into Roxas’ hair, fingers curling gently so they wouldn’t hurt but couldn’t slip.  Roxas’ hand tightened around the fabric of Axel’s shirt, tugging him close. At some point, Axel set aside his computer so Roxas could crawl more onto his lap, more or less pushing the redhead against the wall as their exploration of one another’s mouths became more intimate.

    Axel’s fingers had just found their way under Roxas’ shirt when the blonde’s phone began to ring.

    “Fuck.” Roxas grumbled as he pulled himself away and snatched the device from his back pocket.

    “I was trying.” Axel teased, which Roxas decided deserved a half-assed punch on the arm.

    He saw that Sora was calling him, and told Axel to be quiet to which the older man stuck out his tongue. He let his hands fall to Roxas’ hips, thumbs rubbing small circles on the skin just above his belt line.

    “Hey.” He answered, wincing at how out of breath he sounded.

    Sora noticed too, because his voice gained a tone that meant he was grinning a shit-eating grin. “Hey yourself. Mom says it’s time to come home from Hayner’s.”

    Roxas was so thankful he had Sora as his little brother. “Okay. See you in twenty.”

    Roxas hung up, deposited his phone on the bed, dropped his head on Axel’s shoulder, and closed his eyes. It would only take ten minutes to ride home on his board, but _jeeze_ it was going to take ten minutes alone to dose the fire still raging in his veins.

    “Gotta go?” Axel asked, voice husky.

    That didn’t help Roxas _at all_. Those extra ten would have to be spent outside.

    “Yeah.”

    Axel let out a sigh, then said with a chuckle, “You’re a good kisser, you know that?”

    Roxas nodded against Axel’s collar bone. That made Axel laugh harder. Then he nudged at Roxas’ ribs until he couldn’t sit there any longer and withstand the tickling.

    “Ugh okay, okay.” Roxas groaned, sitting on the floor with a huff and tugging on his shoes.

    Axel walked him to the door, passing Demyx and Zexion asleep on the couch.

    “Yes, more blackmail.” Axel made a ‘success’ gesture.

    “What could you possibly need blackmail on Demyx for?” Roxas whispered as he stepped outside, skateboard in hand.

    “I don’t know, but it’s comforting in case of an emergency.” Axel leaned on the doorway.

    Roxas rolled his eyes. “I feel like I’m gonna find out you’re a secret assassin.”

    “Nah, I’d be something more fun, like a serial arsonist. Now get going! Don’t be late.”

    “Jeeze, okay. See you.” Roxas laughed.

    He dropped his board and kicked off down the sidewalk, giving Axel a salute before playing attention to the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First kiss for Akuroku day 2018!


	7. Day Six

** Day Six **

    School was a mere two weeks away, and Roxas’ parents had no issue with constantly reminding their two sons of this dreadful fact. Another summer, one which had been mostly parent-free, was ending while another year of dragging feet through homework and group projects and sleeping through eight a.m. classes was beginning.

    Roxas was even grumpier about this than usual, because the return of his parents had severely hampered his ability to make a second date with Axel. The morning after he’d come home from their first date, his mother took him and Sora on a food restocking trip, claiming it was a miracle the two had survived off of the sheer amount of sugar in the house. Roxas defended that most of that had been Sora’s influence, because he really _had tried_ to get Sora to buy fruits and vegetables but his little brother had been insistent on getting his favourites rather than what was good for him. Sora threw him under the bus, though, and pointed out that he hated Froot Loops while Roxas hardly ate anything else for breakfast.

    The day after that, their father had fussed over them needing some new clothes for school, especially since Sora was a year away from the professional world and could not, “wear gym shorts to an interview” no matter how much he might want to. And so the brothers had been stripped and refitted like a pair of mannequins.

    The third day both of their parents helped them deep clean the house. The fourth day they’d gone on a family hike further up the Redwood Coast. The fifth day, yesterday, one of Roxas’ coworkers had bailed on working at the bike shop entirely, so Roxas had gotten two extra shifts while his boss frantically rearranged the schedule for the next two weeks and stuck a ‘hiring’ sign on the front door.

    Finally, six whole days later, Roxas didn’t have any plans. He’d set his alarm the night before for seven so he could get up and escape to the skate park before his mom or dad cornered him. He left them a courtesy note, of course.

    It had worked, so there he was in his bliss, practicing his skate tricks and imagining how many points he’d rack up in a competition. At exactly nine a.m., he was joined by a similarly skilled person. Neither Xion nor Roxas spoke a word, but the skate-off began. Xion would pull a trick, then Roxas would copy, trying his best to out-do her. Then, vice versa. They continued like this for an hour or so, before calling a tie and crashing onto the grass together.

    “Ready for school?” Xion asked, breath still light and puffing from exertion.

    “Never. You?”

    Xion laughed. “Never.”

    Her breath caught, like she was going to speak, then the words died on her tongue. Roxas took his eyes from the sky to give her the all-too-frequent _speak your mind_ look he’d developed just for her. Xion huffed, then asked,

    “Are you guys official, now?”

    Ah. So she _did_ know. Olette probably couldn’t keep her excitement to herself—she’d practically squealed herself to death when Roxas told her he and Axel had kissed.

    _‘You’re moving on, Rox! I’m so happy for you._ ’ She’d said.

    Roxas had picked good friends.

    His gaze shied from Xion to the clouds. “Yeah, I guess so.”

    “What do you mean, you _guess_? Isn’t that something you should know for certain?”

    “We didn’t actually talk about being exclusive, or official, or anything.” Roxas admitted.

    In fact, he hadn’t been able to think about what that first date had _meant_ since his family had kept him so busy. Axel liked him, obviously. But was Axel the kind of guy to settle? Or was he a free bird? Roxas was the exclusive type because he was also the jealous type, as much as he hated to admit it. Would a second date be too early to talk about something like that?

    “Oh.” Was the only thing Xion said.

    But the tension in her face told Roxas she was still thinking about it. To ease her mind, Roxas said, “I’ll ask him. Report back to you, if you want.”

    “Sure.” Xion’s agreement sounded forced.

    Roxas wasn’t sure what to say now, because Xion never talked about things that bothered her unless she wanted to. But his phone buzzed, saving him from trying to come up with something else to say. He pulled it out from his pocket and held it above his face. The screen flashed white as it turned itself off, so Roxas only caught a glimpse of a text notification. When he turned it back on, the screen read, ‘ _Axel, text hidden’._

    He ignored how his heart flipped and opened to the message.

    **Free today or still trapped?**

He’d been keeping Axel up to date on his parent-trap. Axel hadn’t been bothered in the least by Roxas’ dramatic complaints, and seemed just as eager to go out again.

    **Free**.

    Roxas set his phone on his chest and turned to find Xion watching him, frowning.

    “What?”

    His phone buzzed.

    “Are you inviting him?”

    “I could, if you’re okay with that. You guys would get along.”

    **Awesome! Let’s hang.**

 **‘** _Hang_ ,’ Roxas thought with a smirk.

    Xion still hadn’t answered, so when Roxas glanced back at her she just shrugged. “Sure.”

    **I’m at the skate park with Xion. Join us?**

 **Yeah, I’ll be there in a few.** Came the instant reply.

    Roxas tucked his phone away and bopped Xion’s arm. “Ready for more?”

    Her usual enthusiasm seemed dimmed as she nodded and raced Roxas to the concrete.

    Axel showed up some twenty minutes later, hovering around the park bench where he’d leaned his bike while Xion and Roxas wrapped up their last tricks. They skated over to him and said hello. Roxas knew it was too early for hugs, but he wanted to express his excitement to see Axel. He ended up crossing his arms and grinning.

    “Morning, skater boy. And skater girl.” Axel greeted them both with a brilliant smile.

    “Hey, pizza man.”

    “Ugh you two are gross.” Xion made retching noises.

    At first Axel looked affronted, but Roxas’ giggles put him at ease enough to smile, too.

    “Let’s be even grosser and have a skate off. Special prize for the winner.” Roxas winked at Axel.

    Instead of agreeing and trying to nab his skateboard as Roxas expected, Axel frowned. Xion figured it out first.

    “You don’t know how to skate, do you?” She asked, and without answer picked up her board and handed it to Axel.

    “Uh, no.”

    “We’ll start simple.” Xion said, her tone becoming authoritative.

    Axel shot Roxas a wink, and leaned close as they followed her back to the concrete.

    “If I’m a good student, can I still get that prize?”

    Roxas poked at his ribs, and they laughed.

    The trio ended up spending the next hour or so teaching Axel how to use a skateboard. Apparently twenty-one years of life hadn’t graced the giraffe of a man with perfect balance, but he got the hang of it soon enough. Xion laughed every time he fell from her perch on one of the half pipes, in such a way that Roxas knew she was warming up. It always took her a while with strangers, but the effort she was putting in was beyond appreciated. Axel teased in retaliation, and even poked at her helmet—which had not been able to fit over his hair, so he’d borrowed Roxas’—a few times, like the way he’d ruffle Roxas’ hair out of amusement. She’d batted him off good-naturedly. Roxas was thrilled that they were getting along, and Xion’s funk seemed to have disappeared without a trace.

    On top of that, Roxas was enjoying having an excuse to put his hands on Axel, who seemed just as enthused if the fleeting, sultry glances were anything to go by.

    Not a one of them noticed the presence of a silver-haired newcomer until it was too late.

    “I knew you’d never give up your addiction.” A sour voice drawled, startling the trio from where the two shorter ones had been helping Axel balance on a pole.

    It was a small miracle that Axel didn’t fall. Instead of letting go, Roxas’ hand clamped hard around his wrist, a gut reaction to the person crossing the concrete toward them. Xion didn’t know him, so she hadn’t really reacted at all, her hold on Axel steady.

    Axel climbed off the pole and placed himself between Roxas and Sephiroth.

    “Seems like you can’t, either.” Axel snapped.

    A nasty grin fell on Sephiroth’s face. “Aw, Roxas got himself a guard dog. Isn’t that cute?”

    Roxas felt sick to his stomach, but at least Sephiroth had dropped the innocent act.

    “What do you want?” Roxas snapped.

    The fight drained from Sephiroth’s face. “I came to skate before I leave again, and I got lucky enough to run into you. Not _your dog,_ though.”

    The snarl returned as his gaze flickered back to Axel. Roxas felt hot pricks on his neck. He was about to fire off a retort when Xion stepped forward. Her attention wasn’t on Sephiroth, though. It was on Roxas and Axel.

    “Let’s go.” She took Roxas’ free hand and pulled him toward where she’d abandoned her skateboard.

    Axel followed since his wrist belonged to Roxas, at the moment. The men kept their eyes on Sephiroth, whose face soured further.

    “Is this _her_?” Sephiroth’s voice seethed.

    Roxas flinched. Why couldn’t this fucker leave him alone? They’d broken up for a _reason_ damnit. Why did he insist on trying to get back into Roxas’ life, only to attack him? It wasn’t fair.

    His rationale lost to his rising anger.

    “Shut _up_!” Roxas growled, ripping himself from Xion and Axel and rushing toward Sephiroth.

    He made it two steps before strong arms surrounded him and held him back. He struggled for a moment before giving in. Axel was right, starting a fight would be a bad idea, even though the redhead himself had claimed he’d fight Sephiroth the next time they met. But Roxas wasn’t going to hold him to it. The sentiment was more important than the action.

    “Ha! It _is_! Well, flame-boy, looks like Roxas is playing you just like he played me. Except you got to meet her. Lucky _you_.”

    Roxas really wanted to wipe that disgusting smirk from Sephiroth’s face. By the slight tremble in Axel’s limbs, he knew the other man felt the same.

    “Don’t let me see you again.” Axel threatened.

    “Come on.” Xion tugged on Roxas and Axel, who gave in and followed.

    The trio ignored the taunts that continued to be shouted at them as they left the skate park and walked aimlessly down a few streets. Axel still had an arm slung over Roxas’ shoulders, which was comforting—Axel’s other hand was balancing his bike.

    Roxas was shaking, slightly, and his mind felt on edge. How were these two going to react? He’d never told Xion about Sephiroth, even though she may have found out from Sora. For her to find out like this, with Sephiroth accusing her…How was he going to tell her?


	8. Six.Two

    They ended up walking to Roxas’ house. It hadn’t been a conscious decision between them, more of a sense that Roxas needed to be somewhere he felt safe. When they turned the corner and saw that his parents’ car was gone, Roxas let out a sigh. At least he had one thing going for him today.

    “So…who was that?” Xion asked carefully as Roxas shuffled through his pockets for his keys.

    There went Roxas’ stomach.

    “Um. He was my ex. We were best friends for a long time, then dated, then broke up last year.”

    “…What does it have to do with me?” Xion’s voice was delicate, like she didn’t want to hurt him but couldn’t resist knowing what had happened.

    Roxas let out a long sigh. He’d spent a year getting over Sephiroth. He could have this conversation with Xion, he’d come to terms with it and she deserved to know now that the bastard had dragged her into it. But Axel…well, maybe this was a good time for Axel to know, too, before Roxas asked to be exclusive. That way Roxas wouldn’t have any more secrets to hide from him.

    “Let’s get inside, and I’ll explain.” He said.

    “Okay.” Xion agreed.

    The arm around his shoulders tightened, but Axel said nothing. Roxas let them in, calling out to see if anyone was home. He didn’t hear a response, but could hear the murmur of Sora’s T.V. upstairs. He and Xion abandoned their skating stuff in the hall, and Roxas got them all sodas from the fridge. The note he’d left his parents had another note scribbled under it.

    **_Gone hiking. Be back for dinner._**

    Roxas shook his head. His parents never slowed down.

    Once the trio had settled on the couches, Roxas began his story.

    “Sephiroth was my best friend since elementary school. He was a different person then. We were super close, told each other everything. Eventually we fell in love and started dating. We didn’t tell anyone outside of Sora, Riku, Kairi, and his other friend, Zack. We went out for two years—junior and senior.

    “Sephiroth wanted us to be out because he didn’t want people thinking I was single. He was already out to the school ‘cause some jackass pulled a prank on him in freshman year that went wrong. But I didn’t want to. I wanted to wait ‘til college, because it would be easier. But then…”

    Roxas could remember it like it’d happened yesterday. A friend from his computer class, Yuffie, had wanted to hang out, and work on a project together. She’d taken him to the local ice cream shop and refused to let him pay. They’d been working on their respective laptops, side by side at one of the tiny tables, when she’d slipped her hand onto his thigh, leaned forward, and kissed him. Roxas had panicked, knocking himself and his chair over in his haste to get away.

    But, as he later found out, it had been too late. Zack had just happened to be walking by on his way home from the gym and he’d seen the kiss. Roxas had spent the night panicking about how to tell Sephiroth for nothing because the next day, it was as if the other boy’s beloved cat had died. After a painful day of school they’d gone on a drive to their favourite make out spot in the woods, where they could talk and feel safe. But it’d gone so, so wrong. Sephiroth was furious, blaming Roxas for the whole thing—which Roxas had a hard time disagreeing with. If he’d just been brave enough to be out…

    Then Sephiroth began calling him a cheater, coming up with some jealousy-spurned idea that Roxas hadn’t wanted to be out because he wanted to date _girls_ but didn’t have the guts to tell his best friend of ten years that he wanted to break up.

    Sephiroth hadn’t been watching the road. Neither had Roxas.

    The next thing Roxas remembered was waking up in the emergency room, drugged out of his mind, a nurse telling him Sephiroth had missed a corner and crashed into a tree. They were both lucky to be alive.

    Axel’s hand found his and held tight.

    “I do kinda look like Yuffie. But she’s older than me.” Xion frowned, her gaze on the floor.

    She knew about the car accident, then. Xion would’ve been pissed if she hadn’t, rather than wondering why Sephiroth had blamed her. Roxas wondered who had told her—probably Olette, although he wouldn’t be surprised if it had been Sora.

    Roxas just shrugged.

    “You really should get a restraining order.” Axel grumbled, though he knew Roxas wouldn’t go that far.

    Roxas felt like shrugging was becoming second nature.

    “Well, thanks for telling me, Roxas. I’ll be sure to flip him off if I see him again.” Xion gave Roxas her brightest smile, which helped settle the tension he felt.

    She really was awesome.

    “Here here.” Axel agreed, holding his hand out to Xion for a high five.

    They all smiled.

    Then, Sora’s bedroom door slammed open, and brown hair came bouncing down the stairs, followed by silver. Sora barely caught sight of Roxas before launching himself onto his brother’s lap, intending to wrestle him to the floor. Roxas was already doubled over in laughter by the time Sora realized he’d landed on _two_ laps.

    “Uh. Hi Axel!” He greeted.

    Axel grinned. “Hey, Sora.”

    Riku cleared his throat from where he still stood on the last stair, and Xion choked on a laugh.

    Sora sat up and took the cushion next to Roxas.

    “Have you guys had lunch yet? Riku and I were gonna order Chinese.”

    “Nah. That sounds great.” Roxas told him.

    Sora proceeded to take orders on his phone, then bounced away to the kitchen. Axel began to fish for his wallet, but Roxas took his hands and held them captive.

    “Mom’s got it.”

    “Are you—?”

    “It’s best not to argue.” Xion warned him, standing from her couch and stretching.

    “I’m gonna make sure Sora and Riku are behaving.” She declared loudly, then headed for the kitchen.

    “Hey!” Sora whined.

    Riku’s chuckle echoed him.

    Roxas slumped against the couch, running a hand through his hair a few times. All that excitement right after having to tell two people about the worst event of his life had made his brain a bit fuzzy. One of Axel’s arms had migrated to the back of the couch, where it rested on Roxas’ shoulders.

    “You okay?” He asked.

    Roxas looked up to find green eyes watching him, a protective fire lit within them. He couldn’t help the butterflies, then. He was in trouble, when it came to Axel.

    “Yeah. Thanks for listening.”

    “Anytime.” Axel smiled, then leaned down for a quick kiss.

    The fact that he hadn’t needed to do that, hadn’t needed to listen to Roxas’ drama, yet had done both willingly reminded Roxas of his earlier conversation with Xion. He had to wait to ask, now would be awful timing, but the question taunted him all during lunch, and through the afternoon while the five of them played video games.

    Sora kept a record of the scores, and the ultimate winner got his free coupon to the ice cream shop.

    Xion won. She, Riku, and Axel left, just a few minutes before Roxas’ and Sora’s parents returned.

    Roxas went to bed that night wondering how such a whirlwind of a day could’ve happened just by him sneaking out to the skate park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sorry that this chapter is a bit cliche. i wanted to get the bit of the story with sephiroth out of the way cause it was annoying me. now we're back to fluff and good times! i dont know where this fic is going to go next as of posting this chapter, so it will probably be a little while before the next update. thanks for reading and i hope this chapter was not too unbearable.


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